


Smoke Signals

by Kattlupin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: And some parrots, Crack Fluff, Everyone smokes pot, Fluff, Getting Together, Island Setting, M/M, Modern AU, Sirius is a god, island gods, island hijinks, meet cute, pot brownies, remus is a surfer, surfer, theres a volcano named walburga, tropical, tw drug use, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:20:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 22,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kattlupin/pseuds/Kattlupin
Summary: Sirius Black, the reluctant God of Black Island, has his world turned upside down. Not by the smoldering volcano that has come back to life and is threatening to blow its top and destroy them all at any moment, but by the islands mysterious, surfing, pot smoking inhabitant, Remus Lupin.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 389
Kudos: 213





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pixelated](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixelated/gifts), [Starstruck4Moony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starstruck4Moony/gifts).



**SIRIUS**

“I can’t believe he jumped in.”

“Why not? He’s only been threatening it for as long as we can remember.”

“But I never thought he’d actually do it.”

“He threw his own brother in two years ago!”

“And it did nothing.”

“Well, it seems to have worked this time.” 

“Yeah, but Sirius, now you’re in charge.”

Sirius grits his teeth and sucks in a breath. He turns and looks at his younger brother, a smaller, less striking version of himself. “You could be in charge if you wanted.” 

“Oh no,” he says, shaking his head, his hands coming up in defense. 

“But  _ Regulus _ is such a godlike name!”

“Please, nothing says, ‘worship me, I mean it,’ more than  _ Sirius _ ,” Regulus teases. 

“It’s not like I gave myself that name,” Sirius argues indignantly. 

“Yes, well, it is far more fitting for the job.”

Sirius takes his eyes off of his brother and glares back down at the bubbling volcano at his feet, watching as the lava slows to a halt and the usually angry and aggressive plume of steam is stifled. “I don’t want the job,” he sighs while he stares. 

“It’s yours regardless of whether you want it. The Most Ancient and Noble Black Island belongs to you now that Father has sacrificed himself to the bubbling pit known as Walburga.”

“I still can’t believe he named the volcano after his wife.”

“After our mother, you mean,” Regulus points out. 

“Either way. We’re all doomed. This damned volcano is never satisfied.” Sirius picks a rock up off the ground, a long cooled smooth bit of old and hardened lava. He tosses it back in and watches as it slowly heats up, turning an angry red and blends back in with the molten. 

Regulus claps Sirius on the shoulder. “It’s your problem now, brother,” he laughs. “I’m going down to the beach to get a drink.” 

Sirius watches his brother leave, slowly ambling down the mountainside as if he doesn’t know that Walburga, just like her human counterpart when she was still alive, is more than capable of making a dramatic turn and blowing up at any minute. Sirius just hopes that Orion’s self-sacrificing plunge is enough to shut her up for a little while. 

He turns and heads to his aviary of tropical birds, and dictates an announcement for them to deliver to the island's inhabitants. 


	2. Chapter 2

**REMUS**

_ Five years later  _

Remus rummages through the pockets of his hoodie, searching for his lighter so he can light the joint that is currently tucked behind his ear waiting to be lit for his pre-surf morning smoke. As usual, Remus’s luck has seemed to run out, or more likely, the lighter has probably fallen between the cushions of his couch, but in Remus’s world, this is just typical.

“What’s the point of growing the only good weed on this black soiled island if I can’t even smoke it myself?” Remus mutters as he rises from his seat and looks over towards his small beach shack tucked amongst the trees, the planks of wood that hold it together shrieking as the wind blows through its seams. 

He’s about to take a step forward when the ground begins to tremble beneath his feet. He shields his eyes from the rising sun and instinctively looks up towards the island's only mountain peak, the one that’s been threatening to blow and obliterate this black sand paradise in the same dramatic fashion as his original home. 

He lets out a sigh and decides to continue on his way back to his beach shack—after all, there’s nothing he can do about it, volcanoes aren’t controlled by pot smoking surfers. Appeasing volcanoes is a job for the gods, and Remus just hopes that whoever the god of this island is doesn’t intend on tossing him into this one as well. Being sacrificed to die in a smoldering pit of lava seems like a pretty terrible way to go. Remus would much rather die naked in his bed, high as a kite, and in the arms of his lover after having the life shagged out of him. It would be a shame to have this island blow up before he’s even met a man that could fit that bill. 

Especially since Remus, for the most part, has liked it here. This island is full of vibrant and friendly people, most of which have more money than sense and are happy to pay top dollar for Remus’s goods, and for the most part, they leave him alone unless they need to restock their supplies. Life here is rather peaceful, albeit a bit lonely at times, but that’s nothing new to Remus. _ Perhaps when this island blows, I’ll move to one with more homosexuals _ , Remus thinks to himself, wishing to at least get laid one more time before he has to uproot his life, or worse, it comes to an end. 

He’s about to take another step forward when a high-pitched whistle, like a firework shooting into the sky, comes screaming in his direction. He looks for its source and ducks just in time, narrowly avoiding the flaming ball of rock that is barreling towards him. 

Shaken and surprised, he crawls on hands and knees to where it is smoldering in the sand. It appears to be quickly cooling, and Remus, ever the resourceful one, pulls the joint from behind his ear, presses it between his lips, leans forward and lights it on the red hot burning stone. As he exhales, he looks back up towards the volcano. “Thanks Walburga!” he yells, not fool enough to look a gift horse in the mouth, or in this case, snub a vengeful volcano as it threatens to destroy them all for the first time in five years. 


	3. Chapter 3

**PETER**

The sound of James’s headboard pounding against their shared wall is what rouses Peter from his sleep. He rolls over onto his belly and pulls his pillow over his head, hoping that it is cushioned enough to block out the noise. And it does, but James is apparently going at it hard enough with whatever poor bird he managed to talk into coming home with him—no doubt only after Lily rejected him again—that he’s actually shaking the floorboards. Peter, much to his surprise and disgust, is bounced across his mattress and out of his bed, landing on the floor in a heap with a yelp.

“You alright?” James asks as he comes bursting through Peter’s door looking sleep mussed, completely disheveled, and thankfully wearing pants. Though he’s not wearing a shirt, Peter can’t help but note.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Peter huffs out, glaring at James for waking him. It’s not until his lamp falls off of his night table and knocks him on his head that he notices that the floor and his bed are still trembling.

“Looks like Ole Walburga’s been woken up again,” James states as he lifts Peter’s lamp up off him, taking a chunk of Peter’s hair with it.

“Ow!” Peter reaches for the now bald spot on his head and rubs at it gently, a slight scowl on his face. “Be careful would ya? Not all of us have a mop of hair to hide our head wounds.”

“Sorry, Pete,” James says, giving Peter a placating pat on the shoulder with one hand while his other runs through his own hair, presumably making sure it’s perfectly out of place before he goes back to whomever is keeping him company in bed.

“Oh, just go back to your bedroom. I’m sure whoever you brought home is in more need of your chivalry than I am.”

James cocks his head to the side. “I didn’t bring anybody home last night, remember? We got high on the patio of the Hogshead with Dorcas and Marlene after Remus replenished our supply. And neither of those two ever have any interest in coming home with us.”

“Gee, I wonder why?” Peter says dryly. He wonders how it is that James hasn’t figured out that Dorcas and Marlene are only interested in each other instead of him, or any man for that matter. Then he realises what it is that James had said. “Wait a minute,” he pauses and looks around, his eyebrows furrowing together. The house has stopped shaking, but now Peter can see that more things other than his lamp were shaken askew. “If you weren’t getting laid, why was your headboard banging against the wall?”

“I already told you,” James says exasperatedly as he gestures around Peter’s room wildly. “Ole Walburga has woken up.”

“Oh!” Peter exclaims, dawning in understanding. 

“ _ Oh _ , is right,” James agrees and extends a hand down to help Peter to his feet.


	4. Chapter 4

**LILY**

Lily slides her key into the door of her shop, anxious to see what the damage is inside. It’s been five years since the great volcano of Black Island has been active and Lily has unfortunately grown a bit lazy due to the relative ease and comfort that its dormancy has provided. She’s not surprised when she steps inside to see that most of the glass bottles and vials of oils, powders, and elixirs have toppled over, along with her neatly stacked pyramids of handmade soaps. Luckily she’s still somewhat wise and has always managed to keep the lids on tight—she’ll just have to spend the morning rearranging her fallen goods and stand them back upright on the shelves. 

She’s about halfway through the task of putting her apothecary back in order when the front door opens, sending the little bell above it jingling. She pulls the corners of her lips up into a friendly smile and turns to greet who she hopes is one of her many deep pocketed clients looking to stock up on her handmade wares. However, her face falls comically when she gets a glimpse of who’s entered.

“Hello, Severus,” she sighs and wipes her hands onto her apron, removing any oily remnants of the soaps that she is currently rearranging. The smell of orchids and lemon grass radiates off of her and thankfully swirls around the shop, drowning out the unwashed scent of her customer. 

“Quite the shaking we got this morning,” he says stepping closer. She stands a little taller, setting her shoulders, and takes a step back, always sure to keep a solid arms width away from the man at all times. Despite her moving backwards, he reaches for her anyways. “I do hope you’re alright.”

“I’m fine Severus, just a few toppled over bottles.” She side steps away from his reach and makes her way to the space behind the counter, using it as a barrier. “What can I get for you? Some more of that anti-dandruff shampoo perhaps?”

“Oh no, I’m fine with that thank you. I still have plenty.” Lily doesn’t need him to say that out loud, the dusting of white on his shoulders is enough to signify that Severus hasn’t bothered to follow her directions, again. “I was wondering if perhaps you had rethought my proposal in combining businesses. We could make a formidable team.”

“The answer is still no, Severus,” Lily says forcefully. At this point, she’s no longer sure how many times she’s had to turn him down. 

“Yes, but with Walburga waking up today, I really think it would be best if—”

“Let me stop you right there,” Lily interrupts, pressing her hand forward towards Severus. “For one, I’ve told you on countless occasions that I have no interest in selling your snakeoil solutions here.”

“They’re not snakeoils,” Severus drawls. “I’m selling perfectly—”

“And second,” she interrupts again, this time with more fire in her voice and her finger wagging in Severus’s face, “why on earth do all of you men insist on referring to that godforsaken volcano as a woman! That’s sexism!”

“I’m not the one who named it.”

“That doesn’t excuse it,” Lily scolds, but she knows it’s useless. Men, especially ones like Severus never listen. 

She glares at Severus as he opens his mouth to retort. Whether it’s her glare or the jingling of the bell above the door that stops him, she can’t be sure. 

“Hey, Lily.” Remus Lupin’s always friendly and forever welcomed voice breaks through the tension in the shop, managing to blow it out the metaphorical window. “That was one hell of a wake up the mountain gave us this morning, huh?”

“See,” Lily says, narrowing her eyes at Severus. “Remus gets it.” She turns to look at Remus, her lips turning up into a genuine smile as she focuses on her friend. She leans over the counter to give him a kiss on each cheek. “Hi, Remus. Good to see you.”

Remus reaches into his rainbow knit shoulder bag and rummages a bit inside. “I have the herbs that you asked for.”

“ _Herbs_ ,” Severus says dryly. “I believe you mean marijuana cigarettes.”

Remus quirks an eyebrow up at Lily, one that she takes to mean _is this guy serious_?

“No, Severus,” she sighs. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Remus has been helping me procure eucalyptus. You know, the main ingredient in that shampoo I sold you.” She has to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing when she hears Remus choke on his own laughter at her quip. “Now if you’re not going to buy anything, could you please get going. Remus and I have business to attend to.” 

“Business,” Severus scoffs. “If you call hanging around with this riffraff _business_ , then I don’t want my potions in your shop anyway.”

“Good,” Lily says, shaking her head apologetically at Remus. “Then maybe now you’ll leave me alone. Now please, if you’re not going to buy anything, leave.”

Severus opens his mouth to speak again, sending Lily into a silent rage. She walks to the door and holds it, using her other hand to gesture him outside. Smartly, for once, he follows.

She slams the door behind him, letting out a hard sigh, then turns to give her attention back to Remus. “Now where were we?”

“About to exchange eucalyptus,” Remus says as he brings a hand up towards his curls. He pulls a joint out from behind his ear and holds it out to Lily, his lips pulled up in a crooked smile. “But I think this is in order first.”

“Bless you, Remus Lupin. You really are an angel.”


	5. Chapter 5

**SIRIUS**

“Well, at least we had five good, quiet years before she decided to blow and threaten to end us all again,” Regulus points out.

Sirius just sighs in reply, then goes back to chucking rocks into the bubbling pool of lava. 

“So what are you going to do,  _ Island God _ ?” Regulus asks. 

“I don’t know!” Sirius exclaims. “I’ve never had to deal with this before. Nothing ever seems to actually appease this thing.”

“Dad worked last time,” Regulus points out through a deep inhale followed by a series of coughs. 

Sirius looks at him and spots the rolled joint between his fingertips just as he smells the intoxicating scent of sticky thick weed. He reaches over and plucks the joint from Regulus’s fingers and takes two puffs, then exhales and says, “I’m not sacrificing myself.”

“Well, we better sacrifice someone.” Regulus takes the joint from Sirius and puffs on it again. 

“Why do we have to sacrifice anyone at all?” Sirius whines frustratedly, then takes the joint back from Regulus.

“I don’t know, that’s just how it works, Sirius. Volcanoes need sacrifices.” Regulus takes the joint back from Sirius.

Sirius claps Regulus on the shoulder. “So jump in then little brother. You’re a worthy sacrifice.”

“Oh no!” Regulus shakes his head, choking on his exhale of smoke and coughing furiously. Sirius pats him a few more times on the back to help clear his lungs. “Besides,” he finally chokes out, “it didn’t work when dad threw Alphard in, I doubt it’ll work now.”

“You never know, maybe Walburga will be more satisfied if it’s her son that jumps in.”

“I’m pretty sure if she had her choice she’d choose for  _ you _ to be the sacrifice.”

“Nah, she always liked you better.”

“Exactly!” Regulus agrees enthusiastically. “I think she’d much prefer to see you dead and me alive.”

“Rude.”

“True though.”

Sirius scowls, but nods his head. His brother's assessment is correct after all. 

“Should we start collecting virgins?” Regulus suggests as he passes Sirius the joint again.

“As if this island even has any.” Sirius takes a drag then points the joint in the general direction of the quiet beach town at the base of the volcano. “You’ve seen them down there, even that watery eyed Pettigrew kid gets tail. Besides, I’m not sacrificing virgins. That’s a ridiculous and antiquated concept anyway.”

“Well, you better do something. We don’t want this place to end up like Greyback Island.”

Sirius and Regulus both look to the east and cringe identically as they look upon the still violently smoking inferno that is their nearest neighbor. They turn back to look at their own volcano and Sirius takes another long, contemplative drag off the almost finished joint.

“Hey!” Regulus yanks what remains of the joint out of Sirius’s finger. “Puff puff pass, man.”

“Sorry,” Sirius says, even though he’s not sorry at all. “Where’d you get that from anyway? It’s good.”

“Some surfer bloke down below grows it.”

“Huh,” Sirius huffs. “Good to know.”


	6. Chapter 6

**REMUS**

Remus checks the clock hanging above his sink when he enters his humble home. It’s barely noon and he’s already finished making his deliveries. He quickly changes into his favorite red and gold shorts, the ones that are short enough for him to move freely in once he’s out on the water and balancing on his board. 

In his rush to get back out onto the water, he decides to forgo another joint and cuts himself a thick slice off of the brownies that he has sitting on his counter. As he chews the dense and rich chocolate treat, he wonders if the townsfolk of Black Island would be interested in buying these as well. He figures they probably would be, they’re easier and more discreet, plus he could charge a near fortune for them. He places a box of brownie mix onto his counter for later, then hurries back outside, eager to get back on his board with the sun shining down on his cheeks and shoulders, making his hair more golden and adding a few more freckles to his tanned skin. 

He makes short work of getting into the water, waving off his fellow beach goers with a ‘stop by later’ when they ask him if he has any more pot. Sure, he’d like to make the money, but that’s not what he’s really here for. Remus lives for the waves and the ones that crash down on the shores of Black Island are the best he’s ever ridden. Far better than the violent ones from his home shore back on Greyback Island.

He chances a quick glance to the east and he smiles contentedly at the still smoldering island that he fled just under two years ago. Things were different there, angry and violent like the sea, and with a volcano that was far more ruthless than the one he has to contend with here. After he’d lost his mother and father to the vengeful god, if one could even call Fenrir that, he was quick to flee, and even quicker to swear off all things that have to do with island gods forever. They could sit up on their mountain tops all they like, asking for unquestioned worship, but Remus was never going to be one to comply with their wishes. His way of dealing with the mysteries of the islands and their volcanoes was different. Be kind, show respect, and for fucksake, please stop sacrificing people to them. It’s not that hard. 

Once out on the water, paddling in wait for the next big wave, he shakes his head at the ridiculous notion of gods in general. They always think themselves so high and mighty, sitting up on their mountain tops and chucking innocent people into their volcanoes. It’s ridiculous, he scoffs as he sees the familiar swell of the water before him signifying his next ride into shore.

He starts paddling more fiercely to reach it and turns his board to face the right direction, when he feels the wave pick up the back end, he springs to his feet, his right leg in front of his left, knees bent and buoyant, arms outstretched to counter balance, his red shorts riding high and clinging to his thighs. In this moment, he feels truly free and at ease, high as a kite, floating across the water, and soaking up the sun.

As the shore comes closer into view, he glances at everyone enjoying the splendor of the island. Even with the threat of an explosion, the beach is still full, and everyone is enjoying the lazy island life. 


	7. Chapter 7

**SIRIUS**

The view from the beach is far better than Sirius’s usual view from up high on the mountain top. There’s something calming and meditative about the rippling water and the push and pull of the tide creating the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing. The sun glistens and glitters atop the water, sending little beams of light everywhere that dance and play amongst the waves and Sirius finds it soothing. He’s been so consumed by the bubbling pit of red, grey, and black despair in the bowl of the mountain that’s been stirring at his feet up high amongst the clouds that he’s almost forgotten what treasures live and mill around the town, that take up residence in small oceanside cabanas, that gather and play in the sand. 

He reminds himself that he needs to come down here more often. Seeing the island residents, his people (though he’s reluctant to call them that as they have their own free will here on Black Island), is a nice reminder of why it is that he does what he does, watching over everything from up high. Maybe he could even be as bold as Regulus and make contact with a few. 

He’s always envied his little brother on that front—of the ease at which he gets to carry himself without the weight of being the island god on his shoulders, or even the heir apparent before their father took his swan dive into the bubbling abyss. 

Sirius never wanted his position. He would have gladly traded Regulus at any time. But Regulus, always wise beyond his years, saw Sirius’s position for what it was, a ridiculous bit of dumb luck to whomever was born first. 

He’s about to turn back and head up the mountain again when a flash of gold brighter than the sun bouncing off of the waves catches his eyes, and like a moth to a flame he’s drawn to it. His feet begin to carry him closer without him even asking them to and before he knows it, he’s standing in the water, the foam of the sea lapping at his shins. He doesn’t care. He can finally clearly make out what it is that he is seeing. 

It’s a man, though he looks like an angel cast in bronze. His skin is creamy, with a golden undertone that has become enriched with a smattering of freckles across his apple-round cheeks and slender shoulders. His hair looks like melted caramel, silky in texture but swirled just the same creating curls highlighted in warm browns and blondes pooling together making an intoxicating mass that Sirius wants to run his fingers through. Under the loose curled fringe that has flopped forward and is dripping rivulets of water down the young man's face, are wide hazel eyes that somehow look both bright and sleepy, and oh so kind. A kindness that is punctuated by his plump lips that have pulled up into a gleeful smile, emphasizing his enjoyment of his surfboard in the waves. 

His surfboard almost seems to be an extension of his body with how comfortably and confidently he stands upon it. His slender legs work in tandem to balance him perfectly as the waves try to throw him off. Those legs are on full display sticking out from under those sinfully short red and gold shorts that are clinging to the man’s body, barely concealing his bits, pieces, and what Sirius is sure is an incredible round, pert ass on the other side. He wants to rip those shorts off with his teeth and then taste the salt on this man’s skin. 

He shakes his head to clear his mind of such lurid thoughts, tucking them aside for later use. For now, he needs to rid his mind of such distractions if he wants to have any hopes of making it back up the mountain to start plotting a plan on how to save this island and hopefully pull this man into his bed. 


	8. Chapter 8

**JAMES**

“This is a terrible idea, James.”

“No it’s not, Pete. The island is waking up again, and I’m sure that Lily is frightened. We’re just being chivalrous by checking on her.”

“Is that what we’re doing?” Peter asks skeptically. “Because in all the years we’ve known Lily, not once has she ever led me to believe that she is frightened of anything.”

“Of course she’s frightened. We all are.”

“Are you trying to tell me Mister Brave, Strong, and Wonderful James Potter is afraid of the big, bad volcano?”

“Well, not  _ me _ of course,” James says with an unnecessary amount of bluster as he stops in his tracks and forcefully extends out an arm to stop Peter, accidentally hitting his fist on his nose instead of into his chest.

“OW!” Peter howls and brings his hands to his face. “What the fuck was that for?”

“Oops, sorry Pete.” James cringes. “I forgot to adjust for height, but you might have a point. Perhaps Lily needs something larger to win her over than me stopping into her shop and checking to make sure she’s alright.”

“Don’t forget asking her out on a date that she’ll say no to.”

“Oh no, with the potential end of our world, she’s bound to say yes to a date. That I know for sure,” James says with complete confidence. He’d mused over it with his morning coffee. A potential volcanic eruption was sure to awaken everyone’s libido, and he is, after all, the hottest ticket on the island. “But if I intend to hold her interest past the best end of the world shag of her life, I might want to think about saving this place.”

“Save this place how exactly? By bringing a parade of virgins to the island gods to sacrifice to Walburga?”

“Well, yeah, that’s the general way that this works, isn’t it?” James cocks his head to the side, his face set in bemusement. 

“I mean, historically I guess. But how would we even go about this? Do you even know how to find them?”

“What, virgins?” James asks confused. 

“The gods, you idiot,” Peter clarifies. 

“Oh, no. But it’s known that they live up on the mountain.” James gestures with a flourish of his hand to the smoking peak that’s poking out above the waving palm trees in their line of sight. “They probably have a pretty sick setup up there. Some big mansion with wide-open spaces and a three-hundred and sixty degree view. I bet it’s quite nice.”

“And your thought is that if we provide the gods with the virgin sacrifice that saves the island, then that will be what finally puts Lily Evans into your arms for good?”

“That is the hope, yes,” James says and starts walking again, his eyes narrowed in on the awning of Lily’s apothecary. 

“So then shouldn’t we be going in the other direction? Start trekking up the mountain to speak with these gods?” Peter asks as he hurries to catch up with James.

“Well, yes of course. But first, while we're here, I may as well ask Lily out on that date,” he says and opens the door. “Wait out here, would ya? I’m not sure she cares for you much.” James pats Peter on the head placatingly as he walks into Lily’s shop and closes the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

**SIRIUS**

Sirius’s eyes are closed with the image of the golden surfing angel floating through his mind. He has one hand behind his head, cradling his neck in such a way that if he thinks hard enough he can imagine that it is smaller and belongs to the man whose image keeps dancing through his brain. His other hand keeps idly playing with the drawstring of his grey sweatpants, not quite able to decide if he should pull on it so he can slide his hand inside and give his cock the few tugs that it so desperately craves, or to be respectful and not fondle himself to the image of a man whose name he doesn’t know. 

His cock has just won the debate, having claimed most of the extra blood at this point anyway as a particularly detailed image of the man’s shorts clinging to his bulge pushes to the top of the queue in Sirius’s memory bank. He yanks swiftly on the drawstring and plunges his hands down his pants just in time for there to be a knock, the first one in his entire existence, on his front door. 

“Fuck,” he mutters and debates if he actually needs to open it. What is the protocol for visitors when one is the god of this place? He supposes he could just pretend he’s not home. He closes his eyes and begins to give himself a few easy tugs to start, then picks up the speed just to have whomever it is outside pound their fist against the door at just the same tempo. He grits his teeth and scrunches his brow, lets go of his cock and mutters another, “Fuck,” as he slips off of his bed.

“I’m coming,” he yells as the mystery knocker sets their fist to rap on the door again. He reties his pants and positions his too slowly waning erection against his waistband, then throws a shirt on for good measure. On bare feet, he stomps aggressively out of his bedroom and towards the front door. 

What he sees when he opens it is more than a bit of a surprise. Peter Pettigrew is standing there, red-faced and sweating profusely along with James Potter, who seems relatively unfazed from his climb up the mountain, but is sporting a rather fresh and nasty looking black eye.

“Can I help you?” Sirius asks, rather annoyed and perhaps a bit too gruffly, though justifiable in the fact that these two have interrupted what was sure to be a rather enjoyable ten to fifteen minutes.

“Ahh, well, we were thinking  _ we _ could help  _ you _ , actually,” James Potter spits out with an overly friendly grin.

“Help  _ me _ ?!” Sirius gestures wildly at himself. “With what, exactly?”

“Well, you know, the volcano problem,” James answers, the irritatingly friendly grin still on his face.

Sirius lets out a sigh. As if he could forget about the volcano problem.

“We, Pete and I,” James says, gesturing between the two of them, “we’d like to offer our services.”

“Services?” Sirius raises a questioning eyebrow, though he must admit he’s curious as to what kind of services these two think they can provide in the task of volcano appeasing.

“Yes, well, we know everyone on the island, and we’d be glad to help you find a worthy sacrifice,” James says with complete confidence.

“Nobody is sacrificing anybody!” Sirius exclaims. “And I’m quite concerned that you seem totally comfortable with this concept.”

“Oh,” James says, all the color draining from his face as it appears to dawn on him what it is that he has just suggested.

“Look, I appreciate your offer. But please, let's try to think of something else. I’m not sacrificing anyone unless I have to.”

“That’s very kind of you.” The color rises back up on James’s cheeks. “So, umm,” he hums and looks over Sirius’s shoulder, gazing into Sirius’s home. “You must get kind of lonely up here, huh?”

“Yes,” Sirius says with a huff. He’s not sure what this James Potter was expecting—being an island god isn’t exactly a social position. He’s not up here throwing wild parties and orgies despite what legends may live on other islands.

“You should come down into town sometime,” he suggests.

“I do,” Sirius says angrily, even though it's a bit of a lie. Truthfully, his trek down to the beach today, the one where he got a glimpse of the man of his dreams, was his first visit in months. But his anger stems more from the fact that he’s actually met James and Peter before, back in the days when he used to covertly frequent the town more often before he inherited it, having drunk the two of them under the table on a few occasions at the Hogshead Inn. Dorcas Meadowes, he believes her name was, happened to be quite impressed. In fact, Sirius had taken an instant, non-sexual liking to the woman. He wonders how she’s been.

“Hey,” Peter struggles to say as he appears to finally catch his breath. “You do look familiar.”


	10. Chapter 10

**REGULUS**

Regulus waits for Sirius to close the front door before he sits up from where he’s been lying hidden on the sofa. “What did Stag Man and Rat Boy want?”

“You’ve been here this whole time!” Sirius accuses, and Regulus can’t help but laugh at the look of exasperation on his face.

“I was sleeping when they knocked on the door.”

“Well, the idiots want to help with the volcano problem,” Sirius says as he plops down on the other end of the couch from Regulus. “As if you didn’t hear what they were saying.”

“I tend to not listen to advice from idiots.”

“Whose advice do you listen to? Pot dealing surfers?”

“Well, I haven’t actually asked Remus about this, but I’m sure he’d have a better idea than the moron twins.”

“They're not twins. Those two couldn’t look any more different!” 

“I know that!” Regulus exclaims. “But you gotta admit, it’s almost like they share one diminshed brain cell.”

“You’re not wrong. I can’t believe they suggested sacrificing virgins.”

“We can't fault them for their lack of creativity. It has been the way for centuries.”

“And it’s never really worked,” Sirius sighs, running his hands through his hair, and not for the first time since Walburga woke back up, Regulus feels sorry for his brother.

He pats him lightly on the shoulder. “Do you want me to reach out to Bellatrix?”

“What good will that do?”

“She seems happy where she is, at least that’s what her latest parrot said when it dropped by.”

“Did it also finish its message asking us to join that Death Eater cult on Riddle Island?” 

“Have you not heard? It’s called Voldemort Island now, renamed their volcano and everything. They’re calling it the Dark Lord,” Regulus explains haughtily. 

“That would explain the plume of green smoke with the skull and snake insignia.” Sirius looks to the west and Regulus follows his gaze. “Not sure what’s worse—that,” Sirius points out the window, then whips his hand around to point in the opposite direction, “or Greyback Island.”

“Greyback Island is much worse.” Regulus shudders. “Presumably everyone is dead or close to it on that island.”

“Touché.”

“We could try what they’re doing on Malfoy Island and just throw money into it,” Regulus suggests. “They’ve had a quiet existence for a few decades now.”

“Yeah, but they’re Malfoys. Gross.” 

“What about the Weasley solution?”

“I’m not even sure where to start in explaining to you what’s wrong with that solution.”

“If it’s that you’re gay and therefore unlikely to father any children, much less enough to placate a volcano, then I’ve got news for you brother, you’re not hiding anything.”

“Fine, you can father the children then. That’s all mother wanted out of either of us anyway,” Sirius reminds Regulus, causing all the humour to fall from Regulus’s face. 

“I need a drink.” Regulus sighs and stands from his seat. “You wanna come down to town with me?”

“Yeah, alright.”


	11. Chapter 11

**REMUS**

“So anyway, I punched him in the eye.”

“Do you think he got the point this time?” Remus asks and takes a sip of his tea. He looks over to where James and Peter are sitting at the bar talking to Aberforth the aging bartender.

“Doubtful.” Lily rolls her eyes. “I think it actually turned him on a bit.”

“Never underestimate the power of a strong right hook.”

“Or the idiocy of a man in love,” Lily says and holds her glass of whiskey up in cheers.

Remus clinks her glass with his mug and gives her a knowing look. The lunacy of men is something Remus is more than a little familiar with. Though he doubts that James Potter is capable of murdering someone's family and subsequently destroy an entire island in his rage when the love is unrequited. And judging from the way Lily is subtly staring off in James’s direction, Remus is pretty sure that that love isn’t actually that unrequited at all. There’s hope for James Potter yet.

“So when are you finally going to say yes to him?” Remus slyly asks around the rim of his mug.

“To James?”

“No, to Severus,” Remus jokes. Lily glares at him and swats him on the shoulder. “Of course to James.”

“I don’t know. I mean he’s good looking and all, but he’s just so arrogant.”

“And a total himbo.”

“Exactly.” She looks at him and shakes her head, then turns to look back at Remus, her green eyes boring into his. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll say yes to Potter when you find yourself a date.”

“Pfft,” Remus laughs. “If you don’t want to date James Potter just say it. You didn’t have to toss me into the fire to avoid saying yes to him.”

“We’ll find you someone one of these days.”

Remus just shakes his head. His prospects for potential dates on this island are limited. He supposes he could see Benjy again, but he was rather dull and he seems to have decided to take his chances with Caradoc, the only other promising prospect that Remus even has.

He’s debating sidling himself between the two of them as they banter and flirt with each other by the jukebox, playing a continuous loop of the most ludicrous and stereotypical music the town's two main gays can waste their money on. He’s not sure standing between these two singing along to Queen is worth the potentially only mildly satisfying roll in the sheets. 

He takes a sip of his tea instead, and turns to look back at Lily, but his eyes are stopped halfway there when they land on the most alluring and sensuous sight he’s ever seen. A man, tall, strong, and broad is standing in the doorway. His hair hangs long and black and made of loose waves that shine, framing his perfectly angular face and bright star like eyes. He’s dressed in a plain white tee and loose fitting dark linen pants, befitting for the tropical weather, though they may as well be a pair of grey sweatpants for the way they leave hardly anything to the imagination. 

Even with all of this, it’s the way that he moves that really catches Remus’s attention. His hand gliding through his hair effortlessly, full of confidence and bravado for such a small gesture as he takes in the room. 

“Of course,” Remus mutters just as the man’s eyes land on him. 

“Of course what?” Lily asks. 

“Of course,” Remus points his chin towards the doorway the handsome stranger is standing in, “the first truly gorgeous man I see on this island is it’s God.”

Lily makes to turn around, but Remus grabs her hand. 

“Don’t look! He’s staring right at me!”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Lily questions. 

“Island Gods are the worst dating options.”

“Worse than Severus?”

Remus cringes. “Alright, not that bad.”


	12. Chapter 12

**SIRIUS**

“Remus!” Regulus calls out as he pushes past Sirius, taking Sirius completely by surprise when he walks straight towards the man that Sirius is staring at. The same man he’d been lusting after on the beach earlier. 

“Hey Reggie,” the undeniably cute surfer boy named Remus says amiably and shocking Sirius with the casual nickname and familiarity towards Sirius’s younger brother. “I’m not selling tonight, you’ll need to hit me up tomorrow.”

“Oh, it’s not that, I still have plenty. My brother,” Regulus turns and waves Sirius over and Sirius feels like his feet are shrouded in concrete, “and I just came out for a drink.”

“You’re welcome to join us if you’d like,” the redhead next to Remus offers and if Sirius is not mistaken, he thinks he sees the beautiful man glare at her. 

“Great.” Undeterred, Sirius quickly grabs a seat at the table, slotting himself next to Remus, eager for a proper introduction. He extends out his hand. “I’m Sirius, by the way.”

He slides his palm against Sirius’s and into his grasp. It’s smaller than Sirius’s and rougher than he’d expected, but still enticing all the same. His eyebrow kicks up as he shakes Sirius's hand. “You’re that excited to sit next to me.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“You said you were serious when you took the seat next to mine.”

“Oh, no, that’s my name,” Sirius corrects politely.

“Of course it is,” he says and turns to look away from Sirius. 

Sirius frowns. The first attractive man he’s seen in ages appears as if he couldn’t care less about Sirius’s existence. This would be a hard enough pill to swallow for any mere man, and Sirius’s status as a god only makes it worse. He sits a little taller, determined to impress, and places his hand on the man’s shoulder to grab his attention again. 

He abruptly turns, looks at Sirius’s hand on his shoulder, then up at Sirius’s eyes, wearing what Sirius takes to be his ‘do you mind’ face. Sirius removes his hand. “Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I just, I didn’t catch your name.”

“It’s Remus,” Remus says, then turns back around. 

Sirius feels even more stung, and strangely more determined to win Remus over. “So, do you come here often?”

“More often than you,” Remus says and rolls his eyes to land back on Sirius. 

“Had I known you were a regular, I’d have come in more often,” Sirius says with his signature wink. 

“What was that?” Remus asks, his face set in confusion. 

“What was what?”

“That thing you just did. Why did you blink aggressively at me?”

“I didn’t blink, I winked.”

“A wink involves only one eye,” Remus points out and demonstrates. “What you did was definitely a hard blink.”

“No. You’re seeing it wrong,” Sirius denies and winks again.

Remus laughs uproariously. “Nope, still a blink.”

Regulus places three pints and a mug of tea on the table. “Oh no, is he trying to wink at you?” 

“Yes,” Remus wheezes out through a laugh. “It’s not working.”

Sirius glares daggers at his brother. 

“Sorry, Sirius,” he shrugs. “It was just funnier to let you believe you were winking.”

Sirius grabs one of the pints and takes a large gulp to wash down the taste of his humiliation. 

“Don’t worry,” Remus says, patting Sirius on the hand. “Island Gods don’t need winks to be charming.”


	13. Chapter 13

**LILY**

_ He can deny it all he wants,  _ Lily thinks while watching Remus’s nimble fingers run across Sirius’s hand,  _ but he is definitely turned on by this man. And who wouldn’t be, he’s bloody gorgeous. _

Though she gets it, she’s never pried, but she knows that Remus has a bit of a sordid past, one he never really talks about unless you get him drunk or high enough. A lesson that he learned the hard way not that long ago while drinking with Lily, Dorcas, Marlene, and Alice on the eve of Alice’s wedding to Frank. 

Lily, along with her four best girlfriends, took an instant liking to Remus when he mysteriously appeared on Black Island two years ago. And the more that Lily has gotten to know him, the more protective she has become of him. Actually, all four of them would happily toss themselves into the volcano if it meant Remus could be protected. Not that he couldn't protect himself, he’s proven to be more than capable and resourceful. Just the harrowing tale of how he got here, paddling for days on his surfboard with nothing but a rucksack full of dried fruit and a baggie full of shake that luckily had a few seeds in it that he’s managed to cultivate into a flourishing product here in the black soil.

Not a lot of people know this story, and even fewer know why it is that he fled his home. It’s a secret that Lily, Dorcas, Marlene, and Alice all swore to take to their graves after Remus’s drunken confession that the vengeful and malicious god of Greyback Island had murdered Remus’s mother and father and kept Remus prisoner, waiting for the perfect moment to sacrifice him to the island’s even more volatile mountain. Remus had only narrowly escaped with the rucksack he’d been secretly filling and the long forgotten surfboard someone had left on the beach. 

And because of this, Lily can understand Remus’s reluctance to take company with yet another island god. But as she watches Sirius seemingly melt at Remus’s feet, the level to which he is smitten written all over his face, she can’t help but smile.

Remus is an angel after all, a fact that’s obvious to everyone who has ever met him, and he deserves to be adored, worshipped even, and who better to worship him than the god that is here to protect them all.


	14. Chapter 14

**REMUS**

“Stop saying things like that!” Remus exclaims while walking along the water's edge, arm in arm with Lily from the Hogshead back to her place above her apothecary. 

“Just hear me out.”

“No.” Remus says firmly. “I’m not going to entertain the idea of going on a date with him. I don’t care how inhumanly attractive he is, or how benevolent you all claim that him to be.”

“But he seemed so genuine.” 

“How would you know? You’ve only just met him as well.” Remus sighs and stops in his tracks, halting Lily with him. “Look, I know gods, and they’re all the same. They only care about their status as gods and not about their people. It’s all an act, a means to an end that only benefits them.”

“I think you’re wrong about Sirius.”

“Believe me Lily, I wish I was.”

“It wouldn’t hurt for you to just give him a chance. Dorcas has met him before and we all love Reggie,” she points out. “Is it that much of a stretch to think that Sirius could be just as much fun as he is?”

Remus furrows his brow. He supposes that she’s not wrong, Regulus has proven to be quite different from the island god he knew from his previous home, but he’d always chucked that up to Regulus not really being the god in charge. There’s a lot of freedom in not having responsibility and that’s the impression that Remus has always gotten from Regulus. Hell, the kid practically buys out Remus’s stock every week—he’s had to start keeping a separate pile just for Regulus. _ Perhaps gods have a higher tolerance? _ Remus muses, then shakes his head.

“I hear what you’re saying Lily, I really do,” he pauses and really looks at her to make sure that she understands what he is saying. “I just can’t open myself up to him like that.”

“If he wasn’t the god of the island would you be saying the same thing?”

“Of course not! He’s bleeding gorgeous. If he wasn’t a god I’d be happily riding his cock back at my place while you were walking yourself home.”

“Lucky me then,” she says and wraps her arms around Remus’s waist pulling him into a hug. “I just want you to be happy Remus. To have everything you could ever possibly want.”

“I am happy,” he says honestly as he hugs her back. “I have a roof over my head, great waves to surf everyday, an endless supply of pot to smoke that I don’t have to pay for, and,” he pauses and kisses her cheek then continues, “the best friend I could ever hope for.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” she says and gives him another squeeze.


	15. Chapter 15

**REGULUS**

“You’re not really going to wear that, are you?”

“What’s wrong with this?” Sirius gestures at the perfectly ironed and cuffed black linen pants along with the loose and billowy white button down that he is currently wearing.

“I mean, you look like a weekender visiting the beach. The type that ends up with a lobster red sunburn by the end of the day.”

“I do not!”

Truthfully, he doesn’t, and Regulus knows this, but he is Sirius’s little brother after all, and sending him down to see Remus in something less than stylish is far more entertaining. He just shrugs at Sirius, knowing that he’s shaken his confidence, and goes back to rolling his joint.

“I don’t know why I’m taking advice from you anyway,” Sirius says while staring at his reflection in the sliding glass door in the kitchen looking out over the volcano. He does a little spin and appears to be checking out how the pants fit his backside. “It’s not like you’ve ever had a date.”

“And it’s not like you’re about to go on a date,” Regulus points out as he rolls the joint, tightening it up with his fingers. He licks a strip across the edge of the rolling paper, then adds, “I’m pretty sure that Remus made it clear he isn’t interested.”

“Oh!” A look of panic washes over Sirius’s face. “You don’t think he was interested in that redhead do you? I thought my instincts on this were good.”

Regulus quirks up an eyebrow, and his lips pull up into a mischievous grin. He wonders how he can play this and also how his brother has gotten so stupid in the haze of his intant smitteness. “He’s definitely interested in Lily,” Regulus lies. 

“Really?” Sirius actually pouts. 

“No, you ass,” Regulus laughs, taking pity on his brother. “Lily is great, but Remus is definitely gay.”

“You’re sure?” Sirius asks hopefully, a blush that Regulus didn’t think a god was capable of creeps up his neck and onto his cheeks. 

“Yes, I’m sure. I saw him leaving the Hogshead attached at the lips with that Benjy bloke months ago.”

“Are they together?”

Regulus shakes his head and looks at his brother as if he is the biggest idiot he has ever met. “Did it look like he was with him the other night?”

“Well, no. Benjy was all over that Carrot bloke.”

“Caradoc,” Regulus corrects. “Another one of Remus’s exes actually.”

“Has he dated the whole island?”

“You didn’t expect somebody that pretty to be a virgin, did you?” 

“No, of course not. I’m just sizing up the competition.” 

Regulus lights the joint and takes two deep drags, then passes it to Sirius, who puffs quickly then goes back to looking at his reflection.

“You really think this outfit is wrong?” Sirius asks.

“No, it's fine Sirius. Go impress your boy.”


	16. Chapter 16

**SIRIUS**

Sirius knocks on the door of the humble home that Regulus had informed him belongs to Remus. It’s quaint, even from the outside, and Sirius is instantly eager to spend more time here. He can already picture it— himself and Remus lazily sleeping in, still naked in the sheets with an ocean breeze blowing over them through the open windows, the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea salt eventually calling them outside.

When Remus opens the door his hair still sleep mussed and disheveled, Sirius’s heart skips a beat but quickly falls through the sand underneath his feet as he’s struck with the realization that he may have roused this man from a deep and restful sleep. “Sorry,” he cringes. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine. I need to get up anyway.” Remus leans himself against the door frame, keeping the inside of his place hidden behind him, and looks Sirius up and down. Sirius doesn’t miss the way that Remus’s perfect pink tongue pokes out just so and wets his lips before he asks, “What can I do for you?”

Sirius swallows thickly. “Regulus— he said you sell pot.”

“Come down to arrest me, condemn me from the island?”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that. I was hoping to purchase some.”

“Really?” Remus asks skeptically. “Because Regulus was just down here purchasing some last night.”

“Well,” Sirius begins to panic, not quite sure what to say. “I guess I just wanted some of my own.”

“Alright, wait here.” Remus begins to close the door.

“Aren’t you at least going to invite me in?” Sirius asks hopefully.

Remus sighs and swings the door open. “Please, come in.”

Sirius walks inside and the smell of chocolate mingling with pot smoke immediately surrounds him. The scent floods him with thoughts of domestic bliss, of himself and Remus cozy and holed up here with fresh brownies in the oven. “Smells good.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right back,” Remus says quickly and heads into a room beside the kitchen, leaving Sirius alone in wait. 

Sirius looks around. The little beach shack is sparsely filled with the few possessions that Remus owns, a stark difference to the well-decorated and almost museum-esque estate that Sirius and Regulus occupy on the mountain peak. Sirius decides rather quickly that he prefers it here and if given the chance, he’d give up everything he has for the opportunity to stay here with Remus forever. 

He’s idly wandering around, looking at the mismatched furniture, the clothing scattered about, and the plate of brownies on the kitchen table, when Sirius decides he’s suddenly very hungry, the munchies from his morning toke with Regulus making themselves known. He reaches for a brownie, figuring that Remus wouldn’t have cut them up and placed them so perfectly on a plate if they weren’t for the taking. 

He moans audibly as he takes the first bite and the dense chocolate melts in his mouth. It’s rich and dark and just a touch bitter, creating hands down the best brownie that Sirius has ever eaten. He shoves the rest of it into his mouth and moans again.

“What was that?” Remus calls from the other room.

“Nothing,” Sirius says dreamily and shoves another brownie into his mouth. “I was just taken by how delicious these brownies are. You must give me your recipe.”

Remus burst through the door, a look of a panic on his face. He looks directly at Sirius, then at the plate of brownies, then back at Sirius again. “How many did you eat?”

“Two,” Sirius says as he reaches for another, popping half of it into his mouth. “These are the best brownies I’ve ever eaten.”

Remus rushes towards him and grabs the half a brownie out of Sirius’s hand. He places it back down onto the table, then grabs onto both of Sirius’s shoulders, looking at him intently. “Are you alright?” he asks earnestly and Sirius feels like the room is suddenly spinning.

“Well, actually,” he wobbles. “Now that you ask.”

Remus loops an arm around Sirius’s waist and moves to his side just as Sirius starts to feel his legs give out. “Come on,” Remus says gently. “Let's get you to the couch. I think a nap is going to be in order.”

“Will you stay with me?” Sirius asks hopefully.

“Well this is my home. I’m not likely to leave you unattended here,” Remus says as he deposits Sirius onto his sofa. 

He pulls Sirius’s shoes off then begins to pull a blanket over him. A comforting warmth washes over Sirius with the weight of the blanket, and as Remus brings the edge up under his chin, Sirius opens his eyes to really look at him. With the sunlight streaming through the window and the room spinning around, the only thing that seems to hold still is Remus. “Are you an angel?”

“No,” Remus laughs and smooths some of Sirius’s hair away from his face. The feel of his fingertips linger on Sirius’s skin. “Far from it actually.”

“I think you are one,” Sirius says drowsily, his eyelids getting heavy and his body melting into the cushions.

“And I think you’ve had too much pot,” Remus laughs and pats him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you when you wake up,” he promises and it warms Sirius's heart more than the blanket, the brownies, or the weed ever could. 


	17. Chapter 17

**REMUS**

As Sirius lies in a heavy sleep on Remus’s sofa, Remus wonders how it is that he has found himself in this position again. What is it about him that is so appealing to these island gods? Surely they can find someone better. 

Though, he must admit that this island god is far more appealing than the last, and it’s not just because he’s the most handsome man that Remus has ever seen. There’s an earnestness about him, something genuine and kind, that shines through his clear reluctance to be a god. Remus almost feels sorry for him. 

“Don’t be stupid, Remus,” he mutters as he finishes off what remains of the brownie he had pulled out of Sirius’s hand. Sirius is, after all, still a god, and there is an overly active volcano on this island threatening them all. Remus would be stupid to let himself get close to this god just for him to decide that Remus was the perfect sacrifice, yet again. 

But it  _ is _ different this time, and even Remus has to admit that Sirius’s intentions seem far more pure than Fenrir’s ever did. He shudders at the thought. Fenrir had made it clear that Remus was purely a sacrifice, an innocent (though he was far from one) to be tossed into the bubbling lava. The rumor that had circulated around Greyback Island was that Fenrir was jealous of Remus, that he wanted the adoration Remus got simply by being himself. Fenrir had felt his position as god of the island threatened, which is as stupid as it sounds. One cannot become a god—you’re born into it—and Remus most assuredly does  _ not _ come from the long inbred stock of gods. 

Yet here he is, nibbling on a brownie and watching this new god doze peacefully on his sofa. Sirius is curled on his side, a blanket pulled up to his chin, and his arms wrapped around a pillow— a pillow that Remus’s traitorous thoughts keep taunting him about, telling him that he could easily replace it with himself, making it so he could be the one that Sirius is clutching onto instead. 

Remus runs his fingers through his curls and tugs at them in an attempt to stave off his thoughts. “Stop, Remus,” he says louder than he means to and it rouses the sleeping man on his sofa.

“Didyousaysomething?” Sirius picks up his head and slurs all of his words together in his likely still incredibly high state. 

Remus can’t help but smile at him. He looks so harmless there on the couch. “Nothing, go back to sleep.”

“Comejoinme,” Sirius says and gives Remus a hard blink, the one that Remus now knows means that Sirius is winking at him. It causes him to laugh lightly, all the while a blush creeps up his face.

Remus rises from his seat at his table and fills a glass of water from the tap for Sirius to drink. He has to be suffering from the worst cottonmouth in existence— a fact that Remus definitely knows from personal experience. 

He kneels beside Sirius’s head on the sofa and slides his free arm underneath Sirius’s shoulders to prop him up. “Here.” He holds the glass to Sirius’s lips. “Drink.”

Sirius locks his bloodshot and sleep heavy grey eyes on Remus’s as he slowly drinks three gulps of water, his Adam's apple bouncing enticingly with each swallow. “Thank you,” he says as he finishes the last sip, and Remus places the glass on the coffee table beside him.

He starts to slide his hand out from underneath Sirius, but Sirius falls back down heavily on his arm. Remus is no weakling by any stretch but Sirius is a larger and broader man, and the way that Sirius is looking at him with what appears to be thumping hearts where his pupils should be has Remus suddenly weak in the knees. 

“Oh, alright, “ he says softly and crawls up onto the sofa and into Sirius's arms. “Just this once won’t hurt.” 

And as if he was always meant to be there, he quickly falls blissfully asleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**LILY**

“Knock, knock,” Lily says as she taps her knuckles onto Remus’s door. “I know you’re in there.”

She hears no movement or even Remus telling her to come in like she’s used to, but his surfboard is propped beside the door, and it’s too early for him to be at the Hogshead— not that he’s even a big fan of going there anyway, but it is a great place for him to sell his homegrown wares. 

She purses her lips together. It’s not like Remus to not answer the door, especially when he should be expecting her. They’d made plans earlier to share a brownie over tea and island gossip while working out a deal for Lily to sell his brownies at her shop. She gives the doorknob a little jiggle to see if it’s locked— it’s not.

“Remus,” she says lightly as she opens the door just a crack, tentatively peeking inside. 

“Go away, Regulus,” she hears someone who definitely isn’t Remus say from the vicinity of the sofa. 

She flings the door wide open and swiftly grabs her homemade pepper spray—which happens to be one of her best selling items—out of her bag. She’s poised and ready to fend off whomever she sees hiding behind the furniture, likely rummaging through Remus’s things, looking to steal his meager belongings. 

“Where’s Remus!” she demands as she takes three swift strides towards the voice.

A head starts to poke up from the sofa, one that does not have Remus’s luxurious curls. “He’s…”

“What did you do with Remus?!” she shouts and sprays the man directly in his eyes before it registers to her who he is— not that it would have stopped her if she had known it was Sirius. It doesn’t matter if he is a god— no one is allowed to mess with Remus.

“What the fuck?!” he howls, his hands flying to cover his eyes, which in turn causes Remus to fall to the floor, startled and awake.

He looks at Sirius rubbing furiously at his eyes, then to Lily who is still standing with her pepper spray pointing at Sirius. She slowly lowers it when she sees the complete look of shock that has consumed Remus’s features, as well as the blush that is slowly creeping up his neck at being caught in the arms of the god he had sworn he was not interested in. 

“Sorry, Remus,” she says gesturing questioningly at Sirius who is whimpering while tears spill from his eyes. It’s quite the sight.

“Why are you apologizing to him?” Sirius cries, clearly in a pain that Lily knows is real. The strength of her pepper spray is legendary. “I’m the one that’s been blinded!”

“You’ll survive,” she says dryly. She turns her attention back to Remus and mouths _‘_ explain’ at him.

Remus just smiles at her guiltily and begins to help Sirius up. “Come on, Sirius. On your feet,” he says, then guides him to the kitchen sink to flush out his eyes. He holds Sirius’s hair back with one hand, while the other keeps a steady stream of water flowing over Sirius’s face and into his eyes. 

“Here,” Lily says as she hands Remus a towel out of one of his drawers. She can’t help but smile at the way that Remus is so attentive to Sirius, gently dabbing at his eyes and cheeks. 

He sits Sirius down on a kitchen chair and stares into his eyes, his hands cradling Sirius’s jaw gently to tilt his head up slightly. “There you are,” he says. “Feeling better?”

“Much,” Sirius sighs, his eyes red and angry, yet still impossibly soft as he looks up at Remus.

Remus tilts his head to the side and looks more intensely at Sirius’s eyes and cheeks, studying them from every angle. “Luckily there doesn’t appear to be any permanent damage,” he jokes and wipes away the last little bit of moisture that has collected on Sirius’s high cheekbones. 

“You really are an angel,” Sirius says as if he’s forgotten that Lily is even there. 

Actually, she muses, neither of them seem to acknowledge her existence in the room at all.

“I’ll just leave you both to it,” she says and walks out the door. 


	19. Chapter 19

**REMUS**

“Lily! Wait!” Remus yells as he catches up to her on the town's main thoroughfare after sending Sirius home, eager to explain away what it is that she witnessed at his house.

Lily stops and turns around, a wicked smirk on her face. “Not interested in him, huh? No island gods for you?”

“Oh, shut up. It wasn’t like that. He just got too high and needed a place to crash for a bit.”

“Uh huh, is that what that was?” she asks skeptically, her lips pulled up at one corner. “Because the last time I got too high, you didn’t spoon me to bring me back down to earth.”

Remus slumps his shoulders in defeat. She does have a point, but one afternoon cuddle session on the sofa does not equate to the start of a relationship. “He just looked like he needed a hug and accidentally fell asleep.”

“Look, whatever you have to tell yourself, Remus, is fine. But just at least admit to me that you like him.”

“Of course I like him. What’s not to like? He’s fucking hot as hell and a god. And I’m not just saying that in the literal sense of the word. He’s kind and attentive and makes me feel like I’m the only person in the room when I’m near him,” Remus says all of this quickly with only one breath. His words getting softer the longer they go. He presses his hands to his face and rubs at his cheeks which have begun to glow a soft pink. He sucks in a deep breath and pulls his hands away. “But he’s still an  _ actual  _ god and there’s an angry volcano. It’s only a matter of time before the obvious solution is to throw me into it.”

“Why do you assume he’s going to throw you in?”

“Because that’s what they all do,” Remus says, disappointment thick in his voice.

“I think you’re wrong about Sirius,” Lily says gently. “He seems genuinely smitten with you, and like he’d do anything for you.”

“These gods are all filled with false promises, Lily.”

“That might be your experience in the past, Remus. But I don’t think it applies here. He seems really nice,” Lily tries to reason.

“So does James, but you don’t see me pushing for you to go out with him.”

“Well, you also haven't caught me cuddling on my sofa with him either.”

“Fair point,” Remus sighs and feels genuinely conflicted. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll give him a shot once, and only once, this volcano problem is sorted out.”


	20. Chapter 20

**PETER**

“Hey, James!” Peter pats James’s arm to get his attention. He’s too busy sneering at Severus who is stomping away from Lily’s shop to notice that Lily is in fact approaching from the other direction. He swats at him again. “It’s Lily.”

“Oh!” James’s eyes dart in the direction that Peter is facing. He looks momentarily hopeful, then his face falls.

“What’s wrong?” 

“She’s with Remus, again. Why is she always with Remus?” James pouts and his brows furrow in confusion. “What does he have that I don’t have?”

“Good weed, you numpty.” Peter says loudly as he cuffs James’s ear.

“Ow.” James frowns and rubs the side of his head. “Speaking of, you still got that joint on you?”

Peter’s lips curl up into a grin, then he reaches into the chest pocket of his floral print shirt and pulls out the fat joint that he freshly rolled this morning. “You mean this one?”

James’s eyes widen comically. “That’s the one!” he says as he plucks it out of Peter’s fingers.

“Hey!” Peter tries to reach for it but James holds it just out of his reach.

“I’ll share.”

“You’d better. It’s  _ my _ fucking joint.”

James just winks at him as he lights the joint, takes two deep inhales then passes it to Peter. Holding his breath and the smoke in he says, “You know I like the first hit.”

“Selfish git,” Peter says as he takes a deep drag then purposely blows his exhale into James’s face. 

James uses his hand to wave the smoke off. His eyes narrow as he looks over Peter’s shoulder. “Who’s that?” he asks and nods his chin in the direction that he is looking.

Peter turns around and immediately sees who James is looking at. It’s a man lurking between Lily’s shop and Madam Puddifoot’s long forgotten tea room. He’s short and squat and overly tan, as if he’s been sleeping on the beach without sunscreen at high noon for three months straight. Which, given their location, isn’t really that strange of a concept. 

The man's eyes move to Peter and James’s direction, then land and narrow in on the joint in Peter’s hand. He licks his lips, stands a little straighter, and ambles over to them. “You got a puff or two of that to spare for me?”

“Uh, I guess,” Peter says warily as he passes the joint over. 

“Thanks,” the man says, taking the joint in one hand, then holding his other hand out for Peter to shake. “Mundungus Fletcher.”

“Peter Pettigrew.” Peter shakes his hand, the skin dry, rough, and cracking. He momentarily considers taking him into Lily’s shop for a jar of her thickest lotion while Mundungus introduces himself to James.

Peter looks at the man with more scrutiny and feels a bit sorry for him judging him from his appearance. His clothes are stiff from dried salt water and it makes the scorched holes in them that much more obvious. He has bags under his eyes, signifying that he likely hasn’t slept in days, and even though he is a husky man, it is clear that he is hungry. Peter wonders how long it’s been since he’s had a proper meal. 

The man pulls the joint from his lips after taking three deep inhales and regards it thoughtfully. “This is good,” he says as he passes it back to Peter. “Did you grow it yourself?”

“Me?” Peter asks through his own inhale before he passes the joint back to James who looks thoroughly annoyed that his last turn was passed over. “No, we get this from Remus.”

The man’s eyes light up at the mention of Remus’s name. “Remus Lupin?” he asks in a tone that sounds both surprised and hopeful.

“Yeah, you know him?” Peter asks at the same time James points behind the man and says, “He’s right over there.”

Mundungus quickly turns around to look toward where James is pointing. They all see Remus a mere moment before he disappears into Lily’s shop. Peter turns his focus back on Mundungus, he looks as if he’s calculating something, and as if the island is nodding its head in agreement with Peter, the ground begins to tremble and Walburga shoots out a plume of steam.

The three of them look up toward the mountain’s peak, hands needlessly shielding their eyes from the sun that has been obscured by the plume which is casting a large shadow over the town. 

“Can you show me where the parrot-post office is?” Mundungus asks urgently. “There’s something very important that I need to send back home.”


	21. Chapter 21

**JAMES**

“What a strange bloke,” James says to Peter as they exit the parrot-post office.

“Yeah, what do you think he meant by home?” Peter asks. 

“I don’t know,” James shrugs. “Do you think maybe he came from the same place that Remus did?”

“Well, where did Remus even come from? It’s like he just showed up out of the blue one day.”

James shrugs again. “I’ve never really asked him. He’s always seemed so private.”

“He has,” Peter agrees, his voice trailing off and his face screwing up in thought as he looks at the parrot-post office. James follows his narrowed gaze—he’s looking at an open window on the side of the building. 

“You want to listen in, don’t you?” James asks. He’s known Peter for most of his life and he’s seen this look before. Peter is about to ‘go rat’, as James has come to call it, and snoop on this Mundungus Fletcher.

Together they silently creep towards the window, stooping low and sitting down underneath the sill. Mundungus’s raspy voice carries over them as he finishes dictating his message.

“Signed Mundungus Fletcher,” he says and the bird lets out a loud  _ ‘SQUAWK’ _ . “Now, repeat back to me,” he demands of the bird.

_ “SQUAWK! DEAR ALMIGHTY GOD GREYBACK. SQUAWK! REMUS LUPIN IS HERE, SQUAWK! ON BLACK ISLAND, SQUAWK! SIGNED MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER, SQUAWK!” _

“Hmmm, change that last bit to ‘Signed your loyal servant, Mundungus Fletcher’.”

_ “SQUAWK! SIGNED YOUR LOYAL SERVANT, MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER. SQUAWK! _

“That should do it,” Mundungus says. “Now, take it to Greyback.”

James looks at Peter as the bird flies out of the window above them and veers towards Greyback Island. The mere mention of Greyback and his island is enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. If that’s where Remus came from, it’s no wonder he’s always been so secretive, and now to hear that Greyback is looking for him makes James’s instincts perk up. He may not know Remus all that well, but he does know that Lily adores him, and that’s enough of a reason for James to want to step in. 

He rises quickly to his feet and pulls Peter up with him. “Come on. From the sound of that message, Remus is in trouble.”

“Uh, if Greyback is coming here, I think we’re all in trouble, mate,” Peter says. “Not just Remus.”


	22. Chapter 22

**REGULUS**

“What the fuck happenned to you?” Regulus asks Sirius as soon as he walks back into their mountain top home. He looks like absolute shit. His eyes are red and puffy, and his shirt is soaked and stained an odd shade of yellow.

Sirius brings his hands to cover his eyes and shakes his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That bad, huh?” Regulus says sympathetically, then immediately changes tone, “You were probably just nervous. I’m sure you’ll be able to get it up next time.”

“That wasn’t the problem, you ass!” Sirius exclaims. “I was maced!”

“Oof,” Regulus cringes. “Nothing says ‘I’m not into you’ like pepper spray to the face.”

“It wasn’t  _ Remus _ , it was Lily who sprayed me.”

“Probably on Remus’s behalf.”

“No, we were cuddling at the time.”

Regulus brings his hands to his cheeks and his eyes light up. “OMG, you were cuddling! Was there only one bed? Please tell me there was only one bed!”

“I hate you,” Sirius scowls.

Regulus reaches into the liquor cabinet, pulls out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, then quickly pours them each a healthy dose. “Here,” he says as he passes one to Sirius. “A little something to soothe your wounds.”

“Thanks,” Sirius mutters, then downs his glass and hands it to Regulus to fill back up.

“There. Feeling better?”

“No. I don’t understand why this is so hard. Why doesn’t he like me?”

“Well, you did say you were…” Regulus brings two fingers to either side of his head, “ _ ‘cuddling’ _ ,” he says sarcastically, flicking his fingers. “He must like you a little bit.”

“Maybe,” Sirius sighs. “I just don’t know why he won’t give me a chance. Everyone else on this island is usually gagging for a chance to be with an island god.”

Regulus narrows his eyes at Sirius. “Perhaps that’s your problem. Not everybody is turned on by your status.”

“Then I don’t want to be the god anymore.”

“Are you telling me you’d give up being god of this island for Remus?”

“In a heartbeat. And it’s not just because I hate this job to begin with. I never wanted to be the god, and now it’s getting in the way of my love life.”

“Your love life?” Regulus laughs. “You barely know the bloke.”

“It doesn’t matter that I just met him. There’s something special about Remus.”

“Yeah, his short shorts.”

“Fuck off, Reg. There’s more to him and you know it.”

“Everybody does seem to be rather fond of him,” Regulus agrees thoughtfully. “But you have to admit, you don’t know much about him. He’s pretty mysterious.”

“He is,” Sirius sighs again. “Do we know where he came from?”

“I don’t,” Regulus shrugs. “I’m not sure if anybody does, besides maybe Lily. But she’ll never betray his trust.”

“Hmmph,” Sirius huffs in defeat, just as a knock comes to the door.

Regulus, taking pity on his brother and his plight walks towards the door. “I’ll get it.”


	23. Chapter 23

**SIRIUS**

_ Of course there’s someone at the door right now, _ Sirius thinks as he sits heavily onto the couch and quickly downs his second whiskey in an attempt to lick his wounds before he has to deal with whatever other debacle has landed on his doorstep. He’s not at all surprised to see Regulus leading James Potter and Peter Pettigrew in behind him, seeing as he’s pretty sure that they are the only two that have ever actually ventured all the way up here uninvited.

“Thank gods you’re here!” James blurts out as he rushes over to sit next to Sirius on the couch. “Oh! This is nice,” he says when his backside hits the cushions.

“Yes, I know it’s nice,” Sirius says, completely annoyed and holding up his glass for Regulus to refill. “And of course I’m here, this is  _ my _ home. Why are  _ you _ here?”

“We overheard something today that you need to know about,” James says quickly.

“You climbed all this way to gossip?” Sirius questions. “Looking to take Rita Skeeter's job or something?”

“No, we're not here to gossip. We’re here to warn you.”

“I already know about the volcano,” Sirius says, and as if to punctuate that statement, Walburga bubbles and boils outside, setting the floor to shake along with the ice cubes in the drinks that Regulus is passing around.

“No, not that. It’s about Remus Lupin.”

Sirius’s stomach drops and all the color drains from his face. How on earth did these two idiots know that Sirius was trying to win over Remus? And worse yet, why did they come all the way up here to talk to him about it? They don’t actually plan on helping, do they?

“What about Remus?”

“He’s in danger.”

“We all are,” Peter interjects quickly.

Sirius sits up taller and runs his hands up and down his thighs to help stave off the sudden panic he’s feeling. “What do you mean he’s in danger?”   
  
“We met this Mundungus Felcher,” James begins to explain. “And we overheard him dictate a message through parrot-post. Something about Remus being here and he sent it to Greyback.”  


“What!?” Sirius and Regulus exclaim together. 

“It’s true,” Peter confirms, though Sirius barely hears him. 

“This isn’t good, Sirius,” Regulus says seriously.

“What the fuck are we going to do? I thought everybody on Greyback Island was dead.”

“I can tell you, this Dingus guy we met looked like he’d seen better days. And the message he sent sounded like a way for him to make amends for wrongdoing,” James states. “Whatever is going on over there can’t be great for anybody.”

“You think!?” Sirius questions angrily and points out the floor to ceiling glass window that faces in the direction of the smouldering remnants of Greyback Island.

James just shrugs sheepishly.

“If he’s on his way here, we need to do something quick,” Regulus says, his tone still serious and Sirius could hug him for it. Even with all the brotherly teasing they do and Regulus’s insistence that the happenings of Black Island were Sirius’s problem alone, he could always be counted on when things mattered most.

“I need to speak to Remus,” Sirius says definitively, stands, and walks out the door. Regulus, James and Peter are hot on his tail.


	24. Chapter 24

**REMUS**

Remus is about halfway home from Lily’s shop when the ground shakes beneath his feet. He looks up towards Walburga and catches her just as she expels another plume of steam from her mouth. It hovers over the island and slowly sends swirling flurries of ash down upon Remus and the rest of the island. He holds his hand out and collects some of it in his palm. He looks it over then blows it away with a sigh. 

“Not too much longer, huh Walburga,” he says, then looks out to sea and at the smoking island to the east. He lets out another heavy sigh, then mutters, “I like it here. I do hope they find you a worthy sacrifice soon. Preferably one that isn’t me.”

With the smouldering remnants of Greyback Island, his old home in his eyeline, Remus pulls a joint out from behind his ear and quickly lights it. He’s struck with the sudden feeling that he is being watched as he does so. Normally he’d chuck this up to good old fashioned pot induced paranoia, but it’s been years since he’s experienced that. Living on Black Island has been relatively peaceful and pleasant, leaving Remus no reason to be worried about much of anything, except for maybe this god who has been trying to seduce him. But even Remus has to admit he doesn’t mind that so much. Truthfully, he’d very much like to be seduced by Sirius, just not when the island's volcano is asking for a sacrifice.

“Well, well, well. Remus Lupin,” a voice that Remus hasn’t heard in ages says from somewhere behind him. It sends shivers down his spine, but he won’t show that. Mundungus Fletcher isn’t a scary man—mostly he’s just a nuisance. The god he works for, however, is a terrifying sort. 

“What are you doing here, Mundungus?”

“I was in search of a new home, found you instead.”

“Took you two years to make the journey after Greyback Island blew its top.” Remus turns and looks directly at Mundungus, shrugging casually. “You know I did that journey in less than a week? Helps if you paddle on both sides of the board. Keeps you from spinning.”

“I wasn’t out there for two years paddling,” Mundungus needlessly tries to explain.

“The way you look says differently.”

“Not all of us are as pretty as you Remus,” Mundungus says dryly. “Speaking of which, I’m sure your previous admirer will be glad to see you’ve managed to keep up your looks.”

Remus feels his stomach drop. He only hopes that Mundungus, in however many days it has been that he’s been on this island, realizes how special a place it is. That life here, even with it’s looming doom, is far better than the life they both came from. But Remus also knows that Mundungus is an opportunist.

“How much do you want to keep quiet?” Remus asks.

Mundungus fixes him with a sickening smile, one gold tooth glinting brightly as his lips curl. “Give me half your stock of weed and I won’t tell Greyback that you’re here.”

“One half!” Remus exclaims. “You’re crazy.”

“And you’re dead if I tell Greyback you’re here,” Mundungus points out. “This is a beautiful island, ready to be taken over with just the right sacrifice to its volcano.”


	25. Chapter 25

**SIRIUS**

Sirius’s feet can’t travel fast enough for him in his urgency to reach Remus, and not for the first time he wonders what the point of being a god is if it doesn’t come with any special powers other than to appease a stupid volcano and potentially live forever—assuming the volcano or another god doesn’t kill him. 

And what’s the point of living forever if Remus won’t even go on a date with him? Granted, it’ll take more than a date for Remus to be able to reap the immortal benefits of being with a god. For that, they’ll have to marry, but Sirius is sure that if given the chance, Remus will find him to be quite the loyal and attentive lover, someone worthy of an immortal’s lifetime of commitment. After all, that is what Sirius is ultimately looking for and Remus is the first person he’s ever met that has caused a stirring of hope for that kind of life in his belly. 

When he sees Remus standing on the beach, looking out over the water towards Greyback Island, Sirius lets out a sigh of relief, though it’s very short lived, broken as soon as Sirius sees that Remus is not alone. The smarmy man standing on the other side of Remus sets Sirius’s teeth on edge, even from afar, and Sirius knows without anyone telling him that this is the man who has set the events in motion that threaten Remus’s life.

He picks up his pace and sprints ahead of Regulus, James, and Peter in his haste to get to Remus and, if possible, pick this man up and chuck him from the waters edge straight into Walburga. 

“Remus!” he yells, his lungs burning. 

Remus turns and looks at him, and he appears to be just as relieved to see Sirius as Sirius is to see him. Sirius takes it as a sign, he still has a chance, even after all of the disastrous encounters he and Remus have had. 

“You’re not safe,” Sirius says breathlessly as soon as he reaches Remus. The man next to Remus goes deathly pale at Sirius’s arrival. He turns away guiltily and takes a step to walk away. “Don’t you move!” Sirius warns, but the man ignores him and takes off in a run.

“Oh no!” James yells as he sprints after him and tackles him into the sand. 

_ Proved himself useful after all, _ Sirius thinks as he watches James yank the man up by his shirt collar and drag him back toward Sirius and Remus, just as Peter and Regulus arrive. 

“Nice tackle, James,” Peter wheezes out, and James beams at the praise.

“Too bad Lily didn’t see it,” James says. “Could’ve won her over for sure.”

“Not sure that would’ve helped you mate,” Regulus says with a clap onto James’s shoulder. He turns to look at Sirius. “What do you want to do with this one?”

“First, I want answers,” Sirius says.

“Me too,” Remus agrees. “Why am I not safe?”

“This man,” Sirius gestures angrily and wildly at Mundungus, “this Dung Felcher, he told Greyback you’re here.”

“You piece of shit!” Remus bellows. He cocks his right hand back, forms a fist, then slams it with all of his might into Mundungus Fletcher’s nose, breaking it on contact with a furious crunch.

Everyone cringes at the noise, except for Sirius who is instantly turned on, despite the fact that he probably shouldn’t be. That was one hell of a right hook. 

“How long do we have before he gets here?” Remus asks, shaking his hand and bending at the knees to crouch and let the next wave approach and wash the blood from his knuckles.

“Not long,” Regulus says. “Parrots make the journey faster than people do, and gods even faster than parrots.”

“Fuck,” Remus mutters. “So what’s the plan?”

“Well, outside of finding, alerting, and saving you, we haven’t come up with one yet,” Sirius explains.

“You do know that Greyback’s presence here threatens not just me, but everyone, correct?”

“Yes,” Sirius says, but leaves out the part where he tells Remus that he’s the most important one. Not that Sirius is willing to sacrifice anyone to Greyback, he won’t even sacrifice anyone to Walburga. Well, except for maybe Mundungus, and Greyback when he gets here. 

And at that thought a look of dawning washes over Sirius’s face. If Orion sacrificing himself bought them five years of peace, surely tossing Greyback into the molten lava will buy them even more.


	26. Chapter 26

**LILY**

_ Damn, that was quite the punch _ , Lily thinks. In the two years she’s known Remus she’s never so much as seen him squash a bug, let alone punch someone. Frankly, she didn’t really know he had it in him. James Potter, sure, he’s the brawling type, made obvious by the tackle she just witnessed from him as well. Initially she was preparing to lecture James on such obvious displays of toxic masculinity, but now, after watching Remus throw a highly effective punch, she figures that this man must have had it coming. 

She starts to quicken her steps to reach them and make sure Remus is okay when her arm is unexpectedly grabbed from behind and squeezed a little too forcefully. She yelps and abruptly turns around. Severus has her by the arm. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” he sneers. 

“To check on my friend. Now let go!”

“No. I saw what Lupin and Potter did to that man. It’s not safe for you over there.” 

“You don’t get to decide that!” she yells and tries to pull away from his grasp. 

“I’m just looking out for you,” Severus pleads. 

“I don’t want or need you to look out for me! Now let me go!”

“No.”

“Yes!” Lily says forcefully and punctuates it with a well placed knee to his groin. 

Severus falls to his knees with a groan and topples over onto his side. Lily swiftly runs away, making sure to kick sand up in his direction behind her. 

“Lily. Wait,” Severus calls out, his voice pained and barely audible. “There’s something you should know about Remus.”

Lily stops in her tracks and lets out a sigh. It never ends with Severus. She looks over her shoulder and glares at the man, he does look to be in a significant amount of distress, even after one considers he just took a knee to the biscuits. 

“What is it?” she asks angrily. 

“He’s brought danger to us.”

“Severus, now is not a time to spin lies. Remus hasn’t brought anything except for good weed and a friendly face.”

“It’s a lie. Greyback is coming for him.”

“Greyback!” Lily exclaims. How would Severus even know that Greyback would be looking for Remus? “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Severus.”

“I do though,” he tries to reason as he pulls himself to his feet. “That man he just hit,” Severus takes a breath, his body still recovering from the impact of Lily’s knee. “He’s from Greyback Island. Came into my shop today and bought an amulet for protection—you know, one of the items I’ve been trying to get you to sell?”

“What’s your point Severus?”

“My point is, he mentioned to me that he’d sent a parrot to Greyback and that we should expect him here in a few days. Offered to help me sell my amulets and other protections to the townspeople.”

“Really, Severus, you’re using this as an excuse to push your fake tikis and potions and all manner of other  _ snake oils _ ! You really are a piece of work. And what makes you think this bloke was telling you the truth.”

“He had details, gave me Remus’s entire life story, his history back on Greyback Island. He’s the reason that volcano blew! And the same thing is going to happen here unless we let Greyback throw him in.”

“Oh my god!” Lily exclaims and knees Severus in the groin again. 

“Ooof,” he grunts and hits the sand again. 

“You despicable, disgusting man! Did you honestly think I was going to be okay with Remus being sacrificed? What is wrong with you?” 

“Lily,” he wheezes again. 

“No. I’m done listening to you. I’m going to help Remus,” she says definitively and hurries off to catch up to Remus, Sirius, and the rest. 


	27. Chapter 27

**REMUS**

“Are you alright?” 

“I mean, I guess,” Remus answers Sirius as they look out over the mouth of the volcano outside Sirius’s mountaintop home. He narrows his eyes at Mundungus who’s being hauled—or dragged more like—by James and Regulus into the house where they can keep an eye on him. Peter is lagging somewhere behind. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Sirius assures him, and for some reason Remus lets himself believe it. “I’m not like Greyback.”

“I know you’re not,” Remus says, and logically he knows that Sirius isn’t like Greyback at all. He’s kind and chivalrous and as loyal as a dog it would seem. “But you’re still a god.”

“Reluctantly,” Sirius shrugs. “I never wanted the title. I tried to get Regulus to take it.”

“It does seem like a pretty shitty job,” Remus says and he can’t help but smile at the fact that he’s standing beside the world’s least enthusiastic god. 

“Oh, you have no idea. It’s awful.” Sirius seems to shudder. 

“Rough life in your mansion on the mountain,” Remus teases. 

“Oh!” Sirius turns and looks directly at Remus. “How—”

“Sirius, I’m just joking,” Remus laughs and playfully slides his hand down Sirius’s arm. 

When he pulls his fingers away, he’s surprised to note that they suddenly feel different, as if they’ve touched something truly significant. And of course they have, Sirius is a god, but that’s not what this is. Remus feels the need to touch him again. So he does, his hand grips Sirius’s and gives it an amiable squeeze and Sirius squeezes back, his grip sure and strong and full of reassurance. 

“So what exactly happened to you on Greyback Island?”

“How much time do you have?”

“As much time as you need.”

“The amount of time I need is not the amount of time we have,” Remus sighs. “Greyback will be here for me the minute he hears that parrot's message.”

“And why is he coming for you?”

“I was supposed to be his sacrifice to his volcano.”

“Why  _ you _ though?” Sirius asks with an encouraging squeeze. 

“It all started in a similar way as me and you. He spotted me on the beach and decided I needed to be his. I didn’t feel the same way,” Remus pauses and looks over to Sirius who is watching him with rapt attention. The attentiveness of it does not go unappreciated by Remus. Outside of Lily, no one’s ever really paid Remus this much attention since he came here, and now that he has it, he finds he rather likes it and it’s easier for him to tell his whole story. “Greyback was never a good or fair god, he always erred toward cruelty. And when I rejected him publicly he killed my mother and father then took me prisoner to be sacrificed to the volcano when it woke back up. On the morning that the island started trembling again, I managed my own escape and rode a surfboard here.”

Sirius doesn’t say anything in response. Instead, he tugs on Remus’s hand, pulling him close and enveloping Remus into his arms. Remus stiffens up at first, surprised by the sudden embrace, but as Sirius continues to hold him close, and begins whispering promises of a better life and Remus’s safety, he can’t help but loosen up and collapse into Sirius’s hold. 


	28. Chapter 28

**SIRIUS**

You’d think as a god Sirius wouldn’t believe in something as trite as fate or destiny or even soulmates, but as he holds Remus in his arms and offers him his help and protection, Sirius can’t help but wonder if maybe there is more at play here than just plain chance. 

Sure, it was a chance encounter—his first trip down the mountain and into town in ages—that brought Remus into view for Sirius, but at the way things are playing out, a larger force must be responsible. After all, here they are—Remus in his arms, standing at the edge of a ready to erupt at any moment volcano, dealing with the fact that Remus’s old god is on his way here, likely looking to throw Remus in. It’s an odd twist really, but Sirius wonders if it’s playing out just as it’s supposed to.

Sirius, ever since he was thrust into the role of Island God has always known at some point he’d have to appease Walburga. Human sacrifice was always the way, but Sirius has never been one for old ways, tradition, or any other archaic standard, and he’s definitely never been one who thought sacrificing lives to a smoking crater was a viable, let alone humane solution. It’s cruel, unnecessary, and most of all just plain wrong. 

However, his father did teach him a valuable lesson at his death—human sacrifices never really did anything, but gods, well, they worked best to put an end to such matters as active and vengeful volcanoes. And now they are just a few days away from having the most vengeful god around at their proverbial door. Who better to toss into Walburga to hopefully shut her up for good than Greyback? 

“We’ll do this together,” Sirius whispers into Remus’s ear. “Me and you. You don’t have to face him alone.”

“We might need more than just me and you,” Remus says. He turns his head to bury it into Sirius’s chest, his curls tickling Sirius’s chin. “Greyback is ruthless.”

“Then we’ll get more help,” Sirius says reasonably, one hand moving up and down Remus’s back while the other holds him closer. “Regulus will help, and I’m sure the marauding duo that is James and Peter will pitch in too.”

“You think so?”

“Definitely. James for sure, he’s hell-bent on catching Lily Evans’s eye.”

Remus laughs lightly at this and lifts his head away from Sirius’s chest to look at him. His smile is warm and genuine, and whether it’s because of that smile or whatever possible comfort Sirius may have managed to provide him, Sirius notes that Remus looks content, bordering on mischievous for someone who is in grave danger. 

Sirius stills his hand at the base of Remus’s neck and gazes down at Remus who is looking up at him expectantly.  _ Now is your chance,  _ Sirius thinks.  _ Now is your moment. _ He slowly dips his head down, his hand cradling the base of Remus’s neck. He watches Remus lick his lips and close his eyes in anticipation, then feels him rise that little bit he needs to bring their lips together. 

The kiss is soft and languorous, their smooth plump lips gently gliding together—a contrast to the feel of impending doom around them. To Sirius’s surprise, Remus has managed to slip his hands underneath Sirius’s shirt, his palms sliding up and pressing firmly up the length of Sirius’s back. Sirius relishes in the skin on skin contact as he deepens the kiss, his lips parting further compelling Remus to do the same. 

_ “REMUS!” _ The sound of Lily Evans's voice breaks through the tree line.  _ “REMUS!”  _ she calls again, and Remus quickly steps away, leaving Sirius standing there with empty arms and kiss reddened lips. 

“I’m over here, Lily!” Remus calls out when Lily steps into view. Remus quickly glances at Sirius and to Sirius’s relief, Remus looks reluctant to have stepped away. 

“Oh, thank gods I found you,” she says, relief apparent in her voice. “You’re in danger.”

“We know,” Sirius says and he’s unable to keep the annoyance out of his tone. 

She turns to face him, her eyebrows raised high. “Oh, I didn’t interrupt something, did I?”


	29. Chapter 29

**LILY**

The guilty expression on Remus’s face and the look of utter despair on Sirius’s is almost too much for Lily to handle. Clearly she’s just interrupted something, and from the sexual tension in the air, she’s willing to bet that she just barged in on their first kiss. She does hope for Remus’s sake that it was a good one.

“What’s goin’ on, Lily?” Remus asks.

“I think I should be asking the two of you that,” she says teasingly and by the way that Remus is beginning to blush, she knows that she is in for a good story later.

“I’m not one to kiss and tell,” Remus teases back.

“Oh, sure you’re not,” Lily laughs. “That must be the other Remus on this island who’s been quick to give me all the details about his love life.”

“Pfft, hardly.”

“Hardly!” Lily exclaims. “Shall we list,” she holds up her fingers, “Benjy, Caradoc, that Prewitt from Weasley Island, Gabian—”

“Fabian,” Remus corrects. 

“I stand by what I said,” Lily says, then continues, “Sturgis Podmore, Kings—”

“That’s enough,” Sirius interrupts and Lily doesn’t think that it’s for Remus's mercy. She exchanges a look with Remus and they both start laughing at the way that Sirius is clearly flustered. “What?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Remus says and grabs a hold of his hand. “You’re just cute is all.”

Lily lets her eyes flit to their intertwined fingers and then back up to lock onto Remus’s. He gives her a wink and a shy smile, and she can’t wait to hear how all of this happened.

“How did you know I was up here, anyway?” Remus asks.

“I followed you,” she says, “You’re in danger, but I gather you might know that already.”

“We figured that out,” Sirius says friendly enough, but still clearly annoyed at the interruption. Lily doesn’t really blame him. She’d be frustrated too if she was in his shoes, finally having a moment alone with James Potter when he’s not being annoying and then having someone else barge in and ruin it. 

“But I’m guessing you know something that we don’t,” Remus says.

“Severus,” Lily answers. “He knows and he’s up to something with that man you guys carried up here.”

Remus sighs, “Mundungus.”

“Felcher,” Sirius adds.

“Please tell me that’s not his name,” Lily cringes.

“Close enough,” Remus says, with a quick brush off. “So what about Severus?”

“Lily!” Severus’s drawling voice sneers as he suddenly appears from the tree line before Lily can answer.

They all exchange a look, then Sirius sets off on a run to catch him.


	30. Chapter 30

**REGULUS**

“Well this is quite the ragtag crew, isn’t it?” Regulus points out when Sirius drops Severus on his ass next to Mundungus on the floor, inside the circle that is Regulus, Sirius, Remus, Lily, James, and Peter. James is the only person who looks up at Regulus’s declaration, clearly excited by the happenings going on around them. His smile is beaming and Regulus finds it a bit unnerving. “So, what’s the plan?”

“We toss them in!” James says enthusiastically, his head nodding vigorously, agreeing with himself for some unknown reason. 

Sirius sighs, Lily groans, Peter nods his head in agreement, and Remus actually speaks. “We’re not throwing anybody in.”

“What do you mean?” James asks. “These slimy gits put your life in danger.”

Remus lifts his gaze and Regulus catches the pitying look in his eyes as they fall on Severus and Mundungus. “That’s how this all got started. I was supposed to be thrown in. It’s awful, and I’m not sentencing someone else to that, let alone  _ two _ people.”

“He’s right,” Sirius says gently. Regulus watches in bemusement as Sirius places his hand on the small of Remus’s back.

“Sirius,” Regulus says slowly with a bit of warning in his tone. “We have to do something. That volcano is about to blow.”

“I know, Regulus. That’s all I’ve been thinking about for days now.”

Regulus raises an eyebrow at his brother, then pointedly looks at Remus. 

“Ok, fine. Almost all I’ve thought about,” Sirius concedes, then places a soft kiss onto Remus’s temple. 

“This is sweet and all, but may I suggest—”

“Zip it, Mundungus,” Remus snaps. “I just spared you your life, you don’t get to suggest anything.”

“Well, then maybe—”

“You too, Severus,” Lily barks. “No one wants your opinion.”

“Yeah!” James agrees. “No one asked you.” 

“If we’re not going to toss these two in, then we need to do something with them,” Regulus says. 

“Let them go,” Remus sighs. “It might be their last night alive. Greyback will be here by tomorrow no doubt.”

“Remus, are you sure?” Lily asks. 

“I’m sure,” Remus says, then drops his head to the side to rest on Sirius’s shoulder. 

“But the volcano,” Peter says and gestures out the window towards the smoking crater. “Shouldn’t we keep them around just in case?”

“No. I already told you, we’re not sacrificing just anybody,” Remus says definitively. “We’re sacrificing Greyback.”


	31. Chapter 31

**SIRIUS**

Standing on the back patio of their mountaintop home, Sirius and Regulus watch as Mundungus and Severus make their descent back into town. They wait until they are no longer visible before they both turn around and head back inside, both of them remaining silent on what they agree was likely a very poor decision, though Sirius does understand why Remus had made it. 

Remus, like everyone has always said, is a bit of an angel, never wanting to inflict hurt or pain on others even when he’s suffered due to others’ actions. But Sirius has to admit to himself that letting these two go is likely to cause more harm than good. He’s not Greyback, he’d have treated them well enough if they’d kept them under lock and key like all but Remus had assumed they would do. 

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, brother,” Regulus says with a clap to Sirius’s shoulder, and a point of his chin to where Remus is sitting heavily and sleepily on the couch. “Could be our last night alive, go make it count.”

“Yeah,” Sirius agrees, his eyes falling on Remus and softening immediately. Even with impending doom, Remus has managed to roll three very fat joints, no doubt to be shared amongst everyone else still in their home.

Sirius quietly walks over and extends a hand out to Remus. “You look tired.”

“I am,” Remus says around a yawn as he reaches to grab onto Sirius’s outstretched hand.

“Come on, I’ll show you to the guest room.” Sirius pulls Remus to his feet and is surprised when Remus wraps his arms around him and leans against him.

“Now is not the time to be a gentleman. Take me to your bedroom instead.”

“Really?” Sirius laughs.

“Yes really. This could be my last night alive. If you think I’m going out without a proper dicking down, you’re wrong.”

Sirius almost loses his balance with how quickly all of his spare blood rushes from his brain down to his cock. He’s only settled by the bout of nerves that has suddenly fallen upon him. He swallows thickly.

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t have that in mind,” Remus teases as Sirius starts to move his feet, leading the two of them into his bedroom.

“I mean, I was hoping, yes. But I want to make sure that this is something you really want, and not just something you’re doing because our world might end.”

“Of course it’s something I want,” Remus laughs. “I’ve wanted it ever since I saw you on the beach a few days back with your ankles totally submerged in the tide.”

“You saw me?”

“I did, and then again at the Hogshead when you came to talk to me. I must admit, you’re damn hard to say no to.”

“Well, you’re damn hard to resist,” Sirius says and kisses Remus on the forehead as he closes the bedroom door behind them.

“Emphasis on the hard.” Remus grazes his hand over Sirius’s erection, and Sirius can no longer take it.

He wraps his arms tightly around Remus and swiftly brings their lips together. He lets out a moan when he feels Remus match his intensity, kissing Sirius like there is no tomorrow—and maybe there isn’t.

“What made you change your mind?” Sirius asks breathlessly as they pull their lips apart. He rests his forehead against Remus’s, and lets his hands slide up and down Remus’s sides.

“I guess I just needed to know that you weren’t going to throw me into the volcano.”

“I could never,” Sirius says and brings his hands to cradle Remus’s face, holding it between his palms with reverence. 

“I know that now,” Remus says and punctuates it with a sweet kiss onto Sirius’s lips.

“I’m in this with you, you know?”

“I know,” Remus answers with another kiss, his hand working at unfastening Sirius’s trousers. “Now quit your reassuring and make love to me already, would you?”


	32. Chapter 32

**REMUS**

Waking the next morning still enveloped within Sirius’s arms is the safest that Remus has felt since before all this trouble with Greyback started years ago. 

He lets out a contented sigh and wiggles himself even closer to Sirius, pressing his back to Sirius’s chest, his butt to Sirius’s groin, and intertwining their legs more together. He’s rewarded with three soft kisses to the back of his neck and strong arms holding him even tighter. 

“Good morning,” Sirius murmurs against his shoulder blade before he bites down gently on it.

“Good morning to you too.” Remus wiggles his ass a little, smiling to himself when he feels Sirius’s cock give a twitch against his skin.

“Are you trying to rile me up?”

“I’m trying to get lucky.”

“I’m the lucky one,” Sirius says and rocks his hips forward with a deep breath. “I think we should save all of your luck for Greyback’s arrival. Let’s just call this round two instead.”

“Oof! Why’d you have to remind me that Greyback is coming?”

“Because I care pretty deeply about your life, even if you don’t.” Sirius spins Remus around in his arms and kisses him once they are facing one another.

“I care about my life,” Remus defends, though the blush spreading across his chest, neck, and shoulders reminds him that it’s far nicer when other people care about your life as well. 

“Let me ask you something, then,” Sirius says, brushing the backs of his knuckles across Remus’s cheek.

“Anything,” Remus sighs, relenting to Sirius’s soft touches again.

“Why did you let Mundungus and Snape go free? They were likely plotting something all night.”

“That’s what I was hoping for,” Remus says with a smirk. “The two of them will lead Greyback straight to us, allowing us to face him on our terms.”

“Well aren’t you the sly one. So what’s the plan then?”

“The plan is for you and I to have another tumble in the sheets, make a big breakfast, two pots of coffee, and smoke those three joints I rolled last night before we came to bed.”

“That sounds great, but I meant once Greyback gets here,” Sirius laughs.

“We toss him in,” Remus shrugs then presses Sirius onto his back before he dips below the sheets and takes Sirius into his mouth.

“Fuuuuccckk,” he hears Sirius moan lowly as he settles into the task at hand.


	33. Chapter 33

**PETER**

Peter rolls over onto his back with a huff and presses one of the many plush pillows that Regulus had brought out for him before he went to bed last night over his head. He holds it tight, and hopes that he can drown out the noise of Remus and Sirius going at it, again. At least this time it’s just Remus and Sirius. Last night he had to remind James and Lily that there was an entire bedroom free and that it was completely unnecessary for them to make out on top of him. As happy as he is for James’s sudden change of luck in regards to the wild and wonderous Lily, he still has his limits.

Peter feels the couch dip down by his feet and removes the pillow to see Regulus sitting there with two mugs of steaming coffee in his hands. He raises an eyebrow at Peter and extends one of the mugs. “It’s gonna be a hell of a day. Did you get any sleep last night?”

Peter sits up and takes the proffered mug. “Some,” he shrugs and takes a sip. “Not nearly as much as I’d like.”

“Same,” Regulus agrees and grabs one of the fat joints from the coffee table that Remus had rolled the night before. He lights it, takes a drag, then hands it to Peter as he takes a sip of his own coffee.

“At least you had the privacy of your bedroom,” Peter points out through an inhale. He hands the joint back to Regulus. “All I had for a barrier is the door.”

“Did they sound like that all night?”

“Most of it,” Peter shivers.

“Good for them,” Regulus says holding the joint in front of his eye as if he’s contemplating what to do with it. He brings it to his lips and takes another deep drag. He passes it back to Peter.

“You didn’t hear them? What about Lily and James? They were even worse.”

“Oh, I soundproofed my room years ago,” Regulus answers confidently.

“Sirius has probably been bringing tail up here forever,” Peter says sagely nodding his head.

“Oh no,” Regulus says and it surprises Peter. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s no virgin. But the silencing happened way before Sirius or I started dating.”

“What do you mean?” Peter asks as he passes the joint back to Regulus.

“Haven’t you ever wondered why the volcano's name is Walburga?”

“No,” Peter shrugs. “I always figured it was a tribute thing.”

“Ha!” Regulus laughs. “Tribute my ass.” Regulus takes a long drag off the joint then holds onto it, pinching it between his fingers. “Our mother was never a kind woman. She was relentless and mean spirited, particularly to Sirius. The fights the two would get into were legendary. Y’all probably figured it was thunderstorms you were hearing, but it was almost always those two fighting with each other. As you can imagine, it became quite a lot to listen to, so I created a solution and soundproofed my room.” Regulus takes one more puff off the joint then hands it back to Peter.

“So why name the volcano after her?” Peter asks. 

Regulus brings his coffee to his lips, blows at the steam then takes a sip. “It was years ago, before our father jumped in, she wanted to toss in Sirius when the volcano woke up after lying dormant for decades. Father wouldn’t let her, the two of them were yelling at each other at the craters edge. She was furious and in her rage and she lost her footing and fell in. No one knows I saw what happened, I’d snuck out of my room to get a snack and I’d heard them arguing outside, Sirius was out cold at the time. I hurried back to my room and feigned being asleep. The volcano quieted down and my father, the next morning, just said that there had been an accident, that mom was gone, and that he’d decided to name the volcano in her honor.”

“Wow,” Peter says as he inhales the last viable bit of the joint. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Don’t know,” Reglus shrugs. “We have a murderous and volatile god headed our way. It seemed like the right time.” He takes another sip of his coffee then rises from the couch. “I’m gonna go take a dip in the pool. There's spare swim trunks in the guest room if you want to join me.”

“Yeah, ok,” Peter says solemnly and honestly a bit shaken.


	34. Chapter 34

**JAMES**

James cannot stop grinning. His cheeks are red and the little muscles that pull his lips up at the corner are actually burning, but he cannot stop grinning. This is easily the best morning of his life, made even better by the giant heap of pancakes that are laid out in front of him that were prepared by Sirius at Remus’s request. He pours a heavy dollop of syrup across the top of his plate and tucks in, grin still wide across his face. 

“What the fuck are you so happy about?” Sirius asks him as he sets another pot of coffee on the table.

“It’s just a good day, is all.”

“A good day,” Sirius says, affronted. “There’s a violent, angry, and vengeful god making a beeline straight for us. How is this a good day?”

“Well, outside of that, today’s perfect. Don’t you agree Pete?”

“Uh, no. I’m with them, James.” Peter points to Sirius and Remus with his thumb. “This is a terrible day,” he pauses and gestures at the table, “Thanks for the pancakes though. These are great.”

“Pfft,” James scoffs, still grinning. “If you’d been able to hook up with the love of your life last night you’d be excited about today too.” 

“If you’d have picked a better place to hook up besides on top of me, I’d maybe be a little bit more jovial as well,” Peter quips. “And besides, these two,” he points at Remus and Sirius again, “aren’t acting like complete numpties like you are.”

James looks at Remus and Sirius as if something has finally dawned on him. “Oh! You guys too, huh?”

Remus just looks up from his food and shrugs, though James does note that he has the hint of a grin on his face as well, and Sirius, beaming from ear to ear, places a light kiss on Remus's cheek as he chews.

“Oh, thank literal gods, breakfast,” Lily says as she enters the kitchen and takes a seat at the table between Regulus and Remus. For the first time all morning James’s face falls as he watches her fix herself a plate of pancakes.

“Ah, Lily, don’t you want to sit here?” James asks hopefully and pats the empty seat next to his.

“I didn’t realize there were designated seats,” Lily says and looks around the table.

“Well, I just… thought that… after last _ night _ ,” James says with emphasis, “you’d want to sit next to me.”

“After last night? I didn’t realize that making out and then listening to you snore all night after getting too high in the chair in the corner of the guest room constituted us having to sit together at breakfast.”

Everyone looks up from their breakfast and looks from James to Lily and then back at James again. His eyes go wide as he looks pleadingly at Lily.

“Oh, for fucksakes, Potter,” she says exasperatedly and reaches across the table to ruffle his hair. “If we survive today, I’ll sit next to you at breakfast tomorrow.”

“Really?” 

“Yes. Really.”

“So what’s the plan?” James asks excitedly, a newfound sense of determination overtaking him. “This Greyback god isn’t going to just dive in on his own.”


	35. Chapter 35

**SIRIUS**

Standing outside on the crater’s edge with Remus, Sirius feels the most nervous he has ever felt in his entire life. He places his hands onto Remus’s narrow hips to hold himself steady. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure,” Remus says. He stands a little straighter and sets his shoulders back, then places his hands onto Sirius’s shoulders.

“I don’t like using you as bait like this.”

“It’s the easiest way to get him close to the volcano. And believe me, you’re a strong man but Greyback is much larger and much angrier. If we want to have any hope of defeating him, we need to fight him here.”

“Yes, but it increases the risk of you falling in instead.”

“That won’t happen. I know it. Now, go back inside with everyone else and wait for my signal.”

Sirius takes a deep breath, then leans forward and places a kiss onto Remus’s lips, letting it grow slow and languid. He tries not to think about the fact that this could quite possibly be the last time that he ever gets to kiss Remus, so just in case, when they pull apart to catch their breath, he tosses him another one for good measure then heads inside to hide and wait for Greyback with the others.

“You ready?” Regulus asks him when he takes his place beside him inside the kitchen, the sliding glass door left open for a quick exit when the time comes.

“No,” Sirius laughs nervously. “Greyback is terrifying.”

“Right?!” Regulus agrees. “And we’ve never even seen him in person.”

“Yeah, but father did. And he always seemed right terrified of him as well.”

“Bellatrix seems to like him.” Regulus shrugs.

“That’s not a good omen.”

“Very true,” Regulus laughs, just as they start to see a form moving amongst the trees. 

They both instantly go silent, exchange a quick look, then focus back outside again. Greyback, even at this distance is a large, hulking, intimidating form, easily twice the size of a regular man, resembling the gods of myths more than Sirius or Regulus or even their father ever did. Sirius has never seen anything like him, and he’s definitely never seen anyone stand up to such a brutal force in the way that Remus is now. He looks calm and casual as he pulls the joint out from behind his ear and lights it, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. 

“Remus Lupin,” Greyback snarls, his voice echoing off of the volcano’s edge. “Fancy seeing you here.”


	36. Chapter 36

**REMUS**

Even though he should be nervous standing here on the edge of a boiling volcano with the source of all of his worst nightmares and memories fast approaching, Remus is completely casual and at ease. His lips curl up into a smile as he lets out a puff of smoke in Greyback’s general direction, noting the look of distaste on Greyback's face at the smell. “Does the smoke bother you?” Remus asks, feigning that he cares. “I figured you’d be used to it considering your entire island has been a smoldering heap for the last two years.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Yours of course,” Remus points out. “Island god and all.”

“What do you know of island gods?”

“Outside of the fact that you’re a shit one, not much.” Remus takes a long drag off of his joint and blows another puff of smoke at Greyback, this one clouding his face as he draws nearer. 

“You always were such a little shit,” Greyback barks while trying to wave the smoke out of his eyes. Remus puffs out another exhale at him, causing Greyback to cough, rub his eyes again, and go back to trying to wave the air clean.

“And you’ve always been the worst god to lord over any of the islands.”

“You’re talking a lot of shit for someone who’s about to be tossed into a volcano,” Greyback says and comes within arms distance of Remus.

Remus takes another long, contemplative drag, then makes a very distinct smoke ring out of his exhale, the signal that it is time, then says, “You might want to rethink who it is that’s going in.”

Greyback’s lips curl into a sickening grin and he begins to reach for Remus. Remus steps out of his grasp at the precise moment that Sirius and Regulus leap off the porch and collide with Greyback’s massive form, forcefully pushing him to the ground. But Greyback is large and full of rage, and he quickly rises to his feet, shrugs Sirius and Regulus off of him, and reaches for Remus again, grabbing ahold of the back of Remus’s collar and yanking him sharply towards his bulky form.

“Let him go,” Sirius bellows and charges toward Greyback for the second time. It does nothing and Greyback easily shoves him away with his forearm. Sirius lands on the ground with a loud thud. 

“Sirius!” Remus yells and tries to extricate himself from Greyback's grasp. He succeeds, but at the cost of his shirt. Leaving Greyback standing there with a handful of ripped cotton cloth. Remus helps Sirius to his feet. 

“We got them!” James yells from somewhere behind Remus. He’s loud enough to distract Greyback for a quick second and everyone turns to see James, Peter, and Lily escorting Severus and Mundungus out from the treeline. 

Regulus seizes the moment while Greyback’s back is turned and swings a large tree branch at him, knocking him hard on the back of the head with a deafening crack. It only works to turn Greyback against him, and when Regulus sees the hulking god turn to face him, his eyes go comically wide and Remus can actually see him swallow thickly. 

Greyback begins to charge towards Regulus. Remus and Sirius exchange a panicked look, then begin to chase after Greyback as James shouts from the other end of the property, “Wait for me guys!”

“James! No!” Lily yells. “You idiot!”

James comes running into view with Mundungus and Severus chasing him. He jumps and kicks his feet forward, colliding them into Regulus’s chest and knocking him to the side and out of Greyback reach. James falls to the ground just as Sirius and Remus push Greyback with all of their might. He stumbles and trips over James, falling forward, his arms flailing, one of them working as a club that batts Severus into the molten lava.


	37. Chapter 37

**WALBURGA**

_ What the fuck is this!? _

_ No really. What the  _ fuck _ is this? _

_ Is this supposed to appease me? Because this greasy offering is not going to cut it. _

_ I didn't ask for this! I wanted a god like I got last time, or a goddess like the time before that! Not some island virgin.  _

_ I’m sending this one back. _


	38. Chapter 38

**SIRIUS**

The ground begins to shake furiously below everyone and Sirius knows that it can only mean one thing—Walburga is about to blow. There’s a low rumble and then the mountaintop explodes with a  _ BANG _ , sending a plume of steam and what looks to be Severus Snape straight up into the air. Over the noise, Sirius can hear him screaming in his flight as the explosion propels him through the sky all the way to their nearest neighbor to the west, Voldemort Island.

The ground continues to shake, and Sirius can see the molten lava bubbling and boiling and rising above the crest of the volcano, and everything seems to move in seemingly slow motion. He sees his brother struggling to catch his breath again after having the wind knocked out of him by James’s kick. He sees James laughing gleefully at his own antics and yelling to Lily to make sure that she saw his heroic kick. He sees Lily, screaming to James that she saw it while she and Peter chase after Mundungus. He sees Peter leap to try and tackle Mundungus and miss spectacularly. He looks and sees Remus’s wide-eyed look of horror as he feels the ground shake beneath him as well. 

They both look towards Greyback and see him rising to his feet yet again. They rise up together and take what Sirius hopes is one final charge at the rival god. The shaking ground helps them in their efforts and sets Greyback off-balance enough that when they hit him, he finally falls into the smoldering pit that is dangerously close to killing them all.

On hands and knees, Sirius crawls as close as he can to the crater’s edge, hoping to see the volcano go back to sleep. He’s surrounded by smoke and steam, his vision nearly blinded, but the way the ground stops shaking tells him all he needs to know—Walburga has blown her top for the last time.

He rises to his feet and pulls Remus up with him, immediately pulling him into a hug, desperate to hold him close in both his relief that they survived this and in his celebration that they succeeded. With the last remnants of smoke and steam swirling around them, Remus rises on the balls of his feet and kisses Sirius with a passion to rival that of Walburga’s demand for a sacrifice—and Sirius relishes every second of it.


	39. Chapter 39

**REMUS**

_ One Month Later _

When Remus fled Greyback Island the only things he had his eyes set on was a peaceful existence, the chance to make his own decisions, follow his own passions, make friends, and maybe fall in love. None of those things involved an island god, but here he is anyway, paddling out on the ocean waves, trying to teach Sirius how to surf in the midday sun after a morning of incredible sex and a post-coital blunt. 

He’s hanging off the side of the board, trying to help Sirius balance while the waves are calm. Sirius has already fallen in countless times, but he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, Sirius seems rather pleased with himself every time he has to brush up against Remus underwater to hoist himself back onto the board. 

“You’re never going to learn if you don’t take this seriously,” Remus laughs as Sirius falls in yet again.

“I take everything  _ Siriusly _ ,” Sirius jokes as he places a wet kiss onto Remus’s cheek.

“Who knew island gods were so into dad jokes,” Remus laughs despite the fact that he’s heard Sirius use that pun almost as much as he’s fallen into the water. “Just get up there and try again.”

“Come with me.”

“To balance? No way. I don’t need us to knock heads. I’m in no mood for a concussion and I don’t trust you to get us back to shore if you knock me out with that head of yours.”

“You don’t think I could safely get us back to shore?”

“You’ve been a god of this island for who knows how long and you never bothered to learn how to surf,” Remus points out. “So no, I don’t exactly trust you to get me to shore safely.”

“But you trusted me to keep you safe when the volcano was about to blow.” Sirius kisses Remus’s cheek again then hoists himself up on the board.

“That was different.”

“How so?”

“Volcanoes are your territory; the waves are mine.”

“That’s fair,” Sirius agrees and positions himself to straddle and sit on the board with his legs dangling off on either side. “Get up here, and sit with me.”

Remus relents and hoists himself up as well, sitting to face Sirius. He scoots as close as he can, their knees knocking together and their lower legs wrapping together below the water. He leans forward and kisses Sirius sweetly.

“Much better,” Sirius says when they pull apart. He grabs ahold of Remus’s hands with both of his, playing around with different ways to intertwine their fingers. “It’s been quite the adventure for us, you know?”

“It has,” Remus agrees and kisses him again.

“Do you think you want this adventure to continue?”

“If you mean waking the volcano up again, then the answer is hell no.”

“No,” Sirius laughs. “I mean with me.”

“I think you know the answer to that,” Remus says and punctuates it with a kiss.

“Move in with me,” Sirius says softly with his lips still brushing Remus’s in a way that sets his heart on fire.

“All the way at the top of the mountain?” Remus asks. Never one to make things too easy on Sirius, he pulls his lips into a mischievous smile. “It’s a little far from the beach for me.”

“Is that a no?” Sirius asks nervously and Remus can practically hear his heart crash through the board supporting them.

He lifts their intertwined hands to his lips and kisses across Sirius’s knuckles. “It’s a how ‘bout you move in with me instead.”

“Alright,” Sirius agrees and leans forward, capturing Remus’s lips with his.

“You didn’t really think I’d say no, did you?” Remus asks, his gaze soft and full of affection for the man sitting across from him.

“In matters of love, I don’t ever know what to expect.”

“Matters of love, huh?” Remus feels his cheeks heat at the near confession.

“Don’t act coy,” Sirius playfully scolds, pressing their lips together again. “You must know that I am crazy about you. I’ve been smitten since day one and in love since day three.”

“Did you even make it to day three?”

“Truthfully, no,” Sirius laughs and Remus is overwhelmed by the beauty of it. 

“I love you,” Remus says and means it. “Have since day two.”


	40. Chapter 40

**REGULUS**

_ Five years later _

Regulus sits up in bed and his eyes widen as he feels the island trembling in a way that it hasn’t in ages.

Walburga is awake, again. 

“Fuck,” he mutters as he digs around in his night table drawer then pulls out a joint and promptly lights it. He’s not in the right state of mind to deal with a volcano just yet. A little wake and bake action will hopefully get his mind churning out ideas on what to do. 

Throwing in islands gods has worked the last two times but he’s not about to ask Sirius to do that again, especially not now that he’s married to Remus. After all, Remus is who they have to thank for luring the last god here. And how feasible is that anyway, always tossing gods in? There has to be another way.

He takes two more puffs off his joint then pulls it from his lips and looks at it, observing the smoke swirling from the cherry as it’s aroma fills the room. He lets out a long exhale.

With his mind now clearer he feels calm, cool, collected. And that’s when it comes to him. Walburga is named for his mother, she was real and alive at one point, and even in human form she was in need of some serious chill. 

He gets out of bed and walks to the storage shed outside where Remus has been keeping Regulus stocked with an obscene amount of weed. The island has been bountiful these last five years giving Remus the fertile soil required for a large harvest. Too large actually. There’s more than they will ever be able to smoke. He opens up the shed and begins to carry two bags of the crystalline coated nuggets of sticky weed to Walburga’s mouth and without preamble dumps them into the molten lava. 

Walburga trembles and shakes more furiously then lets out a plume of fragrant smoke that almost sounds like a sigh as it’s released. The motion of the island stopping with the last puff. 

“There, that should shut you up for awhile,” Regulus says, then goes back inside to go back to bed. 

_ Fin _

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos appreciated. Come find me on tumblr for more fun! Xo - kattlupin 💛


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